Biafra Invades Nigeria

51 years ago, under the cover of darkness on the morning of August 9, 1967 at 3am, the newly formed Midwest Division of the Biafran "Liberation" Army comprising of over 7000 men under the command of Brigadier General Victor Banjo stormed out from their beach heads and crossed the River Niger Bridge at Onitsha  and within 12 hours after engaging an Nigerian Army unit at Siluko River and narrowly missing the Governor, captured the entire Midwest. 

Upon invading Nigeria, the Midwest Division was split into various battalions with areas of responsibility including the:

• 12th Brigade under Lt. Col. Festus Akagha had the task of capturing Ibadan and Lagos from two axes at the towns of Ore and Okitipupa.

• 18th Battalion was under Major Humphrey Chukwuka,

• 13th Battalion under Col. Mike Invenso with the task of protecting the Biafran north flank while also cutting off Nigerian supplies going to the Biafran city of Nsukka which had been captured.

• 19th Battalion, first under Lt. Col. Ifeajuna and later under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Igboba.

However, the Biafran forces lost focus of its objectives soon after capturing the Midwest, as Banjo, a Yoruba man openly disagreed with President Ojukwu, an Igbo man, about the political objectives of the invasion.

There was also open disagreement about how to administer the region and eventually there was a breakdown and cessation of communication between Banjo in Benin and State house in Enugu. President Ojukwu, eventually appointed Major Albert Okonkwo, administrator of the Midwest, and Biafra concentrated on administering the province.

The Biafran army was from inception poorly equipped with little sustainable firepower and a combination of logistics and other political considerations contributed to the 12th Brigade being unable to storm Lagos. The 12th brigade instead dug in on the outskirts of Lagos at Ore after encountering strong Nigerian Army resistance while Banjo independently began meetings with the British high commissioner while negotiations were ongoing between the Nigerian and Biafran governments.

Due to the leadership vacuum from the absence of political direction and tribalism, Banjo found it increasingly difficult to maintain control of the troops and his senior commanders who openly disagreed with his contradictory policies many of whom he locked up.

The new Biafran administration also began to face restiveness and resistance from the Urhobo and Ijaw militia sabotaging the Biafran Army due to some brutal heavy-handed administrative tactics.

On September 19, after the fallout of negotiations with Gowon and the British, President Ojukwu declared Major Albert Okonkwo, President of the new puppet-state of the Republic of Benin, to make citizens of the Mid-Western Region loyal to a government other than Nigeria.

But by then the advantage had been lost and on September 20 the hastily formed Nigerian army 2nd division under the command of Lt. Colonel Murtala Mohammed, supplied with information by the resident militia attacked Biafran Army formations precisely along its fault lines and forced them into a disorganized hasty retreat slowed down only after the Biafran army destroyed the Oluwa Bridge to cover their escape.

Just like happened to the Biafrans, the Nigerian army got distracted and began looting the city of including storming the Central bank and liberating it of almost $5.6 million, but they regrouped and thereafter trapped a Biafran unit stationed in the Benin Prison whom the slaughtered.

From the south Nigeria’s 3rd Marine Division under Colonel Benjamin Adekunle launched a pincer strike up the Sapele/Ughelli axis to cut off retreating Biafran troops.

The demoralized Biafran army with many of its officers already in detention for insubordination fell back en-masse in disorganization back into Biafra across the Niger bridge with the 2nd Division pursuing them right into Onitsha which the held for less than a day before the 2nd Division forward vanguard was surrounded and massacred by Biafran soldiers.

The Nigerian army fell back across the bridge back into Asaba and the Biafran army detonated and collapsed the River Niger Bridge at Onitsha connecting it to Nigeria.

Individuals and Straggler units escaped the various pincer traps, abandoned their weapons and uniforms and swam back across the river back into Biafra and rejoined their units.

The Violent Aftermath

Many incarcerated officers of the Biafran Army who were locked up by Brigadier Banjo, including Igboba, were released into the hands of the furious Nigerian army and beheaded, others were summarily shot.

The incensed Nigerian Army called the citizens of Asaba, made up mostly of ethnic Igbo, out for a public dance and announcement into a public square where the able bodied men were separated from the women and children and executed by troops in an outrage now known as the Asaba massacre, for presumed complicity working with the Biafran administration.

A contentious Brigadier Banjo returned to Enugu after the fall of Benin to face the wrath of Ojukwu and army command. Tempers were hot and Banjo arrived state house with a compliment of soldiers and was arrested for an attempted coup plot, insubordination and loss of the Midwest region. He was executed by firing squad alongside other confederates including Ifeajuna. Other mid-west commanders like Ademeyega were incarcerated for the remainder of the war.

It is estimated that about 2000 soldiers lost their lives on both sides.

Due to the many atrocities committed by the Biafran army the people of the Midwest, particularly the Ijaw have always viewed the Igbo with suspicion and contempt and have since refused to align with them politically.

Terhemba Osuji