…….we’re yet to have such a talented officer.
At the time he was arrested on Dec 17th, 1985 and charged for conspiracy to commit treason, Wing Commander Ben Ekele was 36 years old and an Igala from Kogi State, he was a Fighter Pilot and Commander of the Air Defence Group based at the NAF Base Makurdi, a dogged flight pilot Air Force officer in the Nigeria Air Force, best fighter pilot in Nigeria, Africa & third in the world during his time.
He began his flying career in 1969 after completion of basic flying training. In 1971 he was deployed to the operational conversion squadron first on the Czech made L-29 Delphin, then the MiG 15, and then on to the MiG 17. He went to the Soviet Union in 1974 for conversion to the MiG 21 (training and fighter versions).
From 1976 to 1977 he was sent to the Royal AirForce in Britain where he qualified on the Jet Provost Marks 4 & 5 and also flew the Gnat fighter and Hawker Siddeley Hawk, in addition to attending a weapons employment course. Missile training took place at armament camps in Sardinia, Italy and the west coast of Wales (Abeforth).
From September 1977 until December 1980, Ben Ekele set up Nigeria’s first Mig 21 operational conversion unit as the Officer Commanding. Ekele trained practically the entire first generation of locally trained Nigerian MiG 21 pilots. From December 1980 until December 1981 he attended the Joint Services Staff College in Wellington India.
When he came back from India he was simultaneously appointed the Staff Officer, Operations Strike Group and the Officer Commanding the Operational Conversion Unit and the Air Defence Unit all based in Makurdi. Then Squadron Leader Ekele was the ground commentator during the fly past of AirForce jets at the 1982 Independence parade in Abuja, while then Major Iyorshe organized the ground parade. After the Buhari coup of Dec 1983, Ekele was promoted and became the Commander of the combined Strike Group (comprising MiG 21s for interception/air defence and the SEPECAT Jaguar for Ground Attack/Strike) and NAF Station Commandant. On November 11, 1984 the Strike Group was split into Strike and Air Defence groups respectively, relieving Ekele of simultaneous control of both groups of aircraft. A new Station Commandant was appointed in the reorganization.
Wing Commander Ekele took part in several AirCraft Acquisition Evaluation trips on behalf of Nigeria. In 1978 he was on the team that assessed the French Mirage F-1. In 1980 he was on the team that evaluated the Sia Machetti 260, the Agusta 109 helicopter and the MB339 jet trainer. In September 1984 he went to the USSR to familiarize himself with the new MiG 21B air-superiority fighter which Nigeria had acquired. During that visit he also took part in negotiations with the Russians to purchase more modern bombs for the MiGs. Apparently the Russians had been supplying Nigeria with WW2 stock bombs with large profile – which increased fuel consumption merely for flying during operations.
In Nov 1984 he was in the US evaluating the F-20 Tiger Shark. In 1985 he was sent to India to evaluate the HP 34 Hindustan Aeronautic Trainer (Indian version of the Agusta).
During the Nigeria-Chad border conflict of 1983 Ekele led a strike aircraft group that straffed islands in the Kinasara area of the Chad basin, in support of the 21st Armoured Brigade to repel the Chadian invasion. He also commanded the AirForce detachment during Operation SeaDog in Calabar – a joint exercise designed to test responses to situations in the Bakassi area. Interestingly Lt. Col. Bitiyong was an observer during that exercise.
He was arrested in Benue state Airforce base in Dec 17, 1985 for being part of the plan to overthrow IBB’s Gov’t and was executed alongside 12 other officers in March 5, 1986 by Firing Squad.
May his soul continue to rest in peace.