Chapter 2: Okpoko Hills—Where Rain No Dey Pity

First, make we talk how the first Freedom Army start: the Fourth Freedom Army.

Make you no confuse am, na the one wey really lay foundation for all other struggle wey follow. Before this Fourth one, na so so trial and error.

For 1977, General Ojo suddenly turn against the Movement, begin kill dem and left-wing allies—April 12 Counter-Revolutionary Coup. The Movement confuse, betrayals everywhere, wahala full ground. Argument start inside the Movement about what next.

People begin dey sleep with one eye open. E be like say any small noise, na soldier don come again. Some begin dey suspect their own shadow. Na fear and anger dey reign.

Like the film "The Founding of an Army" show, some people still wan copy foreign way, do city uprising, but people like Adewale say make dem go hide for village and use the farmers to push revolution.

Some say, "See how Cuba do am!" Others say, "Abeg, na Nigeria we dey o, no be Havana." E reach point wey dem almost split. But Adewale hold ground, say, "Na for village the real power dey."

With all this confusion, Movement do Palm Grove Uprising and Harmattan Uprising back to back. But enemy too strong, both uprisings fail.

Even people wey no get hope again begin dey ask, "Shebi na so so death dey wait us?" Na only faith keep some people moving.

After Harmattan Uprising wey Adewale lead fail, he look the matter, drop the plan to attack Ibadan, and carry the small soldiers wey remain enter Okpoko Hills for October 1977. There, he handle the local warlords Musa Gana and Okechukwu Nwosu, finally get one place to rest.

Rain for Okpoko no dey pity person—e go beat you like say you thief yam. E no easy at all. Rain dey beat dem, hunger wan finish dem, but still dem gree stay together. Okpoko Hills come be like small Jerusalem—everybody run come find shelter.

With Okpoko Hills as base, Adewale plan to meet Sani Bello. But how Sani Bello take reach Okpoko Hills?

Na here the tori sweet pass. Sani Bello waka leg for bush, cross river, chop snake, just to find way reach Okpoko. No be small journey.

To be honest, the reason why Sani Bello get big name for history na because of this matter. If you understand am, you go know why Commander Sani really try.

If dem no write am for book, people for think say na folktale. But na true—na this kain sacrifice dey make legend.

The main force for Palm Grove Uprising na Musa Efe and Hassan Lawal people. That time, Sani Bello no too show. Later, after dem run from Palm Grove, dem suffer heavy loss as government army chase dem. The army divide for Sanheba, Cross River, Sani Bello lead 3,000 men stay for Sanheba to hold enemy, so the main force fit escape go south.

Na real man Sani Bello be. Some go say, "Ah, why you no run?" But he stand, gree face the wahala, just so his brothers go get chance to escape. E fit sound small for paper, but na life and death be that.

Sani Bello basically collect suicide mission, face over 20,000 enemy under Chief Danladi. He know say to survive no easy, but he still gree do am.

That kain courage, na only old mama for village fit pray for. "My pikin, make you get the heart of Sani Bello!" Na prayer wey get weight.

At the end, the main southern force almost finish for Tangkeng battle. Leaders run scatter—Kunle Adebayo and Ngozi Eze go Accra, Musa Efe go Lome, Hassan Lawal enter Lagos, Hassan Umaru return Jos.

As dem scatter, everybody begin find where to hide head. Some no even fit use their real name again for fear of arrest.

So, uprising fail, leaders waka different road. Nobody know what to do next.

For night, dem go dey think, "How we go gather again? Who go call meeting?" Na proper confusion.

Sani Bello, wey dey block enemy for Sanheba, too outnumbered, finally break out too. That time, army spirit don die. People dey talk, "The main force don scatter, why we still dey here? Make we go our way."

Some begin dey talk, "Oga, abeg, I get mama for village, make I dey go. E don do!" Nobody go blame dem, na pure survival.

As dem dey go, people dey drop. By October end, all division and regiment commanders and Movement reps don almost waka finish; for all the big men, only Sani Bello remain, and for the lower level, only Bala Yusuf and Chidi Okafor still dey. The whole unit nearly finish.

If e be today, dem go dey tweet #Survivor. But that year, na just grit and hope.

At this point, Sani Bello, wey still believe, ginger the rest soldiers say revolution go win, beg anybody wey still wan follow am make dem no give up.

He go dey clap hand, dey shout, "Abeg, my people, no let this fire die! Na us remain! If we give up now, who go talk the story tomorrow?" Na so he keep hope alive.

The result? Sani Bello, with just 800 men, struggle reach Okpoko Hills, join Adewale. Among the few people wey survive, you get Tunde Ajayi (company commander that time), Sunday Musa (guard squad leader), and Chidi Okafor (regimental instructor).

If you see the people, dem no get fine cloth. Some dey limping, some never chop for days, but dem eyes still dey shine. Na so revolution dey born.

Who fit believe say these small small people, twenty years later, go command the big three campaigns—Benue, Ibadan, and Enugu—become the main people for War of Liberation?

Life be like film. Sometimes, na the people wey everybody forget go later be the champion. Na why elders dey talk, "No look person finish because of today."

Another thing: the regular soldiers wey Sani Bello bring different from the farmer soldiers for Okpoko Hills. Na because Sani Bello come Okpoko Hills, the base fit survive plenty enemy attack.

If no be so, Okpoko for don turn graveyard. Sani Bello men sabi formation, sabi strategy, fit set ambush. Dem teach the farmer boys how to hold gun, how to keep watch for night. Na blend wey help all.

Ifeanyi Obi, wey follow Harmattan Uprising, later talk say if Sani Bello no come Okpoko Hills, the people from Harmattan Uprising alone no fit survive.

Na true. Some dey cough blood, some dey weak. But once regular soldiers enter, e be like new blood join body.

Sani Bello, during hard times, keep the small fire of revolution alive. If you know this story, you go understand why dem dey call Commander Sani the father of the Freedom Army.

E reach point, even small children for Okpoko dey call am "Papa Sani." Na so im respect spread for all corner.

For April 1978, Sani Bello lead the small soldiers reach Okpoko Hills, join Adewale, and as Movement Central Committee talk, dem form the Fourth Army of the Workers’ and Farmers’ Freedom Army (from now, Fourth Freedom Army).

People gather, dey shout slogan, dey dance. Old men dey pray, women dey cook jollof rice. Na new beginning for the struggle.

As the two armies join for Okpoko Hills, their power increase, everybody happy. But problem soon show.

E no tay, wahala start. People come dey talk, "Who go lead? Who go cook? Who go fetch water?" Everybody wan show say na im suffer pass.

That time, the Fourth Freedom Army get three main groups:

Adewale’s people dey wipe sweat with old wrapper, Sani Bello men dey polish their boots with red sand, Musa Gana boys dey sharpen cutlass behind mango tree. People even dey use am yab for barracks—"You be Okpoko, you no sabi parade!" Small play, big meaning.

First, Adewale’s old Harmattan Uprising soldiers—mostly farmers—wey dem arrange into the 31st Regiment, plus the farmer soldiers dem gather for southern Benue, wey become 29th and 30th Regiments (the 29th and 30th Regiments later scatter).

These ones sabi farm, sabi move quietly for bush, but parade na wahala. If you say make dem shine boot, dem go ask, "Which boot?"

Second, Sani Bello and Chidi Okafor’s old Palm Grove Uprising soldiers—regular army people—wey become the 28th Regiment.

Dem no dey joke with discipline. You fit see difference for how dem take stand at attention—back straight, eye forward. For fight, na dem dey shout, "Move! Cover left!" No time for play.

Third, the original Okpoko Hills group, led by Musa Gana and Okechukwu Nwosu, wey dem arrange into the 32nd Regiment.

These ones get street sense, sabi bush road, sabi hide from patrol. If trouble land, na dem first notice. Dem dey sharp, quick to use anything as weapon.

You fit see say the group too mixed. For fighting and for mind, dem no be the same. So, small time, wahala start.

E reach level, small thing go cause quarrel. "You no sabi march!" "You too dey shout!" Na so confusion dey fly up and down.

For fighting, Sani Bello and Chidi Okafor’s 28th Regiment strong pass others. Na dem be the main Musa Efe’s Independent Regiment—regular army wey don get real military training. Their fighting level high pass the farmer regiments wey never see proper training.

Na why, anytime wahala wan start, na dem dem go first send. Some go even call dem "the first sons of Okpoko." Others go talk, "Abeg, make una clear road for the real soldiers!"

So, anytime fight wan happen, the plan be like this:

But for Okpoko, plan na one thing—when bullet start fly, na only true soldier go stand.