Lagos Beach

To Umuahia & The Museum

Umuahis is the captial of Abia State, and a town within few miles from Avutu Obowo.  It was the capital of the Republic of Biafra. It was the town that formed our family. Our dad, uncles and aunts were all born and raised in this city. It also houses the museum of the Nigeria civil war, which lasted 1967 to 1970.

We got a guided tour of the museum and were accompanied by one of the Biafran soldiers who fought in the war. He added his tips and experiences to the tour. Not our first time here, but informative nonetheless.

The Biafra National flag

 The famous Ojukwu Bucket:

 The war ship: outside

Inside the war ship

The rest of Umuahia

39 Uyo Street, the house where grandpa and grandma lived when they got married and where they had the Paschal, Uncles Steve and Chisom:

 64 Orlu Street (now renumbered 66) the house where the Nwokocha children were raised: Aunties Chioma and Ijeoma were born while the family lived here:

Road Trip Back to Lagos

The following day, we got in the car and drove about 550 KM/340 miles for over 7 hours. The drive took us through the following states: Imo, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ogun before we got into Lagos. There were some police and customs checkpoints, but not as much as the road to the east: it seemed they had more than 5 customs checkpoints between Delta and Edo States alone.

When we got the Lagos, some cars came rushing back to us that robbers was on the road and that we should turn back. We tuned and followed the cars back and got the the town center and alerted the locals of the ongoing robbery. The young men got into a van and drove towards the robbers. We followed them behind at a distance. They were speeding so much that they skidded off the road and into the bush; apparentey their brakes failed.

By the time we got to the robbery location, it can had been cleared. by other community vigilantes. The rest of our trip was uneventful, which was good.

To Avutu Obowo

We had planned on a road trip to the Avutu Obowo. TBut the air conditioner in our car stopped working a day before we were supposed to set out on the 8 hour drive. So, we got flight tickets, while Kayode remained in Lagos with the mechanic to fix the car. He will join us a few days later. The road trip will now be on our way back to Lagos.

We were on the early morning flight on Air Peace to Owerri, the capital of Imo State. It was a very short flight, about 50 minutes. Shagas sent his driver to pick us up from the airport and drive us around until Kayode and the car arrived. Our first stop was to Grandpa's Godson, Uncle Gab Emejamara's house in Ikenegbu Layout in Owerri. Uncle Gab was like a son to Grandpa. Though it was a short visit, it was great for the kids to meet a gentle, honorable man  & his wife;  a man their father very much admires and looks up to.

Upon arrival in Avutu, the first stop was to the graves of grandpa and grandma. Though not there physically, he welcomed us home as he would ordinarily do. I could only imagine the joy in grandpa/grandma Nwokocha on seeing the children. Very excited! This alone was worth the whole trip.

For the next few days, the kids explored the "Igbo house" as Chimdi will call it, met cousins, went to to Eke Avutu to buy fruits and vegetable, tasted palm wine, and enjoyed the quiet life of Avutu Obowo.

With second cousins

Tropical rainfall:

 Playing around: