hiː ɹᵻtˈɜːnd tə naɪdʒˈiəɹɪə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti θɹˈiː, wˌɛɹ hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə mˈɪnɪstɹi ʌv dʒˈʌstɪs ɪnðɪ ˈiːstɚn ɹˈiːdʒən ʌv naɪdʒˈiəɹɪə, ʌntˈɪl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɛvən wɛn ðə naɪdʒˈiəɹɪən sˈɪvəl wˈɔːɹ bɹˈoʊk ˈaʊt ænd hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə bˈaɪəfɹən ˈɑːɹmi, ɹˈaɪzɪŋ tə ðə ɹˈæŋk ʌv mˈeɪdʒɚ.
He returned to Nigeria in 1963, where he joined the Ministry of Justice in the Eastern Region of Nigeria, until 1967 when the Nigerian Civil War broke out and he joined the Biafran Army, rising to the rank of major.