DOING HIS JOB OR NOT, THE BLACK SCORPION REMAINS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE IN THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR.
DOING HIS JOB OR NOT, THE BLACK SCORPION REMAINS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE IN THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR.
Brigadier Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle was born in Kaduna on the 26th of June 1936.
Adekunle joined the Nigerian Army in 1958 and subsequently attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in December 1960.
He also served in the Congo peacekeeping operation and held several important appointments before the Nigerian Civil War.
Adekunle became famous during the 1967–1970 Nigerian Civil War, when he commanded the Federal forces’ 3rd Marine Commando Division.
The formation operated mainly along Nigeria’s southern and southeastern fronts. Under his command, Federal forces captured important locations including Bonny and Port Harcourt, helping to cut Biafra’s access to the sea.
His aggressive battlefield reputation contributed to his nickname, “Black Scorpion.” He was also known for being outspoken and highly confident, making him both admired and controversial.
Adekunle was promoted to Brigadier in 1972. After the war, he was given responsibility for addressing congestion and operational problems at the Lagos port.
He was compulsorily retired from the Army in 1974.
Benjamin Adekunle died in Lagos on the 13th of September 2014.
He remains an important—and sometimes controversial—figure in Nigerian military history, particularly because of his role in the Civil War.
He played a significant role, in keeping Nigeria as one.
