Brigadier Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle (1936–2014), famously known as “The Black Scorpion,” is seen here with Nigerian Federal Troops in command of Port Harcourt after successfully routing Biafran forces during the Nigerian Civil War.
Date: May 19, 1968
Photo Credit: Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images
Born in Kaduna, Benjamin Adekunle’s father hailed from Ogbomosho, while his mother was of the Bachama tribe from Adamawa State. He attended secondary school in Okene before proceeding to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom.
Adekunle served with distinction as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force during the Congo Crisis in 1960. He was also aide-de-camp to Dr. Akanu Ibiam, the Governor of Nigeria’s Eastern Region, and later held key positions such as Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army and Commander of the Lagos Garrison.
During the Civil War, Adekunle earned national fame as the fearless Commander of the 3rd Marine Commando Division—one of the most formidable and effective units in the Federal campaign. After the war, he was appointed to head the task of resolving Nigeria’s port congestion crisis.
He was compulsorily retired from the Nigerian Army in 1974 following the Iyabo Olorunkoya scandal. Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle passed away in 2014 at the age of 78.
FOLLOW US ON:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
TUMBLR
INSTAGRAM
