President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday revealed that a former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) directed all military commanders during the nation’s Civil War to show restraint while dealing with Biafran soldiers.

Buhari, a former military officer made the revelation  during his investiture as the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He added that they were warned that the soldiers they were fighting were not their enemies but brothers.

While describing Gowon as a committed Nigerian for issuing such orders, Buhari commended the NRCS for bringing succor to victims of the war even in dangerous circumstances.

He said: “Earlier in my profession, during the Civil War, I know how much sacrifice members of the Nigerian Red Cross and their international counterparts did both in the real front of operations and at the rear, on both sides.

“I think it is a lot of sacrifices because anything can happen to you in the operational areas. The risks they faced were real and I admire their courage and commitment to helping people who were in distress and were virtually in millions.

”Those photographs of people from the Biafran enclave spoke a lot. I remember with nostalgia the performance of the Commander-in-Chief, General Gowon.

“Every commander was given a copy of the Commander-in-Chief’s instructions that we were not fighting enemies but that we were fighting our brothers. And thus, people were constrained to show a lot of restraint.

“The international observer teams were allowed to go as far as possible within and outside the war front and I think this was generous and very considerate of General Gowon. He is a highly committed Nigerian.”

The President promised to help the organization to secure a permanent office accommodation in Abuja, assuring them that the government would render its support when they decide to build such a facility in terms of securing land within the Federal Capital Territory.

In his remarks, the National President of the NRCS, Chief Bolaji Anani, said the organization had over 800,000 trained volunteers based in communities across the 774 local government areas of the federation.

He further pleaded with the President to assent to the bill amending the Red Cross Act of 1960, whenever the National Assembly eventually gave its approval. The Act has not been reviewed since it was passed in 1960.