rare gem of its kind. The museum contains every information needed
about past events of the military as well as war returns. The museum
is amongst the best in Africa because of its durability and updated in
formations.
The National War Museum in Umuahia is one of the major tourist
attractions in Nigeria today. The War Museum has three major
galleries: the traditional warfare gallery, the Armed Forces gallery,
and the civil war gallery. In the traditional warfare section. The War
Museum is symbolic in many respects. To all Nigerians and foreigners
alike, it is a grim reminder of the evils of war. But more important,
the National War Museum stands as evidence to the technological
possibilities in Nigerians in the face of necessity and absence of
alternatives.
It was opened in 1985 for the purpose of preserving the Nigerian war
paraphernalia and efforts through the ages. The galleries contain
material objects of traditional and modern warfare as well as other
military paraphernalia. The museum grounds contain the radio Voice of
Biafra bunker. The late Biafra warlord Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumedgwu-Ojukwu is said to have made series of speeches and
announcements from the voice of Biafra radio during the war. and an
open-air display of military hardware, such as heavy artillery guns,
armored tanks, bombers, warships, military aircrafts, flying Ogbunigwe
(bombs)
Although the Biafrans were blockaded economically, had neither fund no
enough international friends to supply them arms, they were able to
resist the national troops for a whole 30 months. How was that
possible?
Well, the Biafrans set up a research and development department made
up of local engineers, welders and railway workers who had no
experience whatsoever of arms building. These ingenious people
assembled iron plates and tractor chassis which they contrived into
mini-tanks. The Biafran Baby, a converted two-seater propeller sports
plane armed with rockets which so much terrorized the Nigerian side,
bombing Nigerian fighter planes on the tarmac of Port Harcourt
airport.
Other arms and ammunitions locally made by these informal army of
engineers were the popular Ogbunigwe, Ojukwu bucket, rocket launchers,
and other armoured vehicles called Red Devils, most of which will be
found displayed at the National War Museum alongside their Nigerian
counterparts built in proper armed factories in Europe and American.
Leading to the bunker where the shortwave Radio Biafra was located are
galleries lined with war time artifacts and comprising of archives
both for serious researchers and arts and crafts for shoppers. There
are also Cold War eramilitary hardware either donated, sold, or lent
by different countries of Europe.
Visitors could actually stay in the NNS Bonny, a British-built
Nigerian navy patrol vessel now kept on top of a hill and serves as
some kind of a restaurant.
The complex opens from 10 am to 6 pm daily. Admission is only N50
including a free. It is very easy to get to the museum as every Okada
rider of Taxi driver can easily lead you to the site.
Nice blog. Thanks for sharing useful infomation.
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