151:
225:
25:
536:. He also believed that any delay in attacking would let his forces lose momentum and give the Biafrans time to consolidate. At a meeting to review the planned attack on the city, Shuwa unsuccessfully urged Muhammed to reconsider. Lieutenant Colonel Frank Aisida, a bigrade commander within the 2nd Division, was so convinced of the danger and futility of a direct assault across the river that he refused to partake in the operation.
238:
158:
585:
to the ground. This gave the 18th
Battalion time to reorganize and make a counter-attack. The 11th Battalion under Maj. Achuzie made their way up the New Market road while the 18th Battalion under Col. Nsudoh swung down the Old Market road towards Onitsha. Nigerian 2nd Division soldiers stationed in
615:
began bombing areas around
Onitsha, devastating the civilian population. In December 1967 the Nigerian 2nd Division and 6th Battalion under Gen. Murtala Muhammed crossed the Niger River at Idah and stationed in Enugu. On January 2, 1968, the Nigerians moved towards Onitsha in a two pronged attack
580:
and chose to attack
Onitsha head on. On October 4, 1967, Gen. Muhammed ordered Nigerian artillery to begin bombarding Onitsha. Eight days later Gen. Muhammed personally lead a 10-boat armada carrying 5,000 Nigerian soldiers across the Niger River into Onitsha. The Biafran 18th Battalion resisted
531:
With the destruction of the Niger River Bridge, the two apparent options left for federal forces attacking
Onitsha were either to effect a direct river crossing towards the city or advance over the river in territory held by the 1st Division and advance to the city overland. While Nigerian Army
620:, giving the 2nd Division a direct route to Onitsha. The Biafran 11th Division under Maj. Joseph Achuzie fought fiercely against the Nigerians and managed to hold them off for over 3 months before Abagana was captured on March 20 followed by Onitsha less than 24 hours later.
594:
to make a third assault on
Onitsha but were once again thwarted by the Biafran 11th and 18th Battalions. It was now when Gen. Muhammed realized there was no hope in attacking Onitsha from Asaba and began heading north towards Idah.
532:
headquarters and some of his subordinates advised
Muhammed to pursue the latter option as a safer course of action, he refused, owing to a longstanding rivalry he had with 1st Division commander Colonel
581:
stubbornly but were forced to retreat in disarray. However, instead of pursuing the retreating
Biafrans and occupying the town the Nigerians turned their attention to looting and burning the
496:
between
Biafran and Nigerian forces. The Nigerian Army's 2nd Division managed to seize control of Onitsha for less than one day before being pushed out and crushed by Biafran soldiers.
572:. The beaches around Onitsha were heavily mined and were backed up by Biafran machine guns and anti-tank weapons. Because the Biafrans had detonated the Niger River Bridge Gen.
576:
was left with the decision of crossing the Niger River at Idah or making and amphibious attack on
Onitsha. Gen. Muhammed disregarded advice from the Nigerian Army HQ in
616:
launched from two axes. The 2nd
Division rolled through Biafran held territory including numerous towns and cities. On January 19 Nigerian troops attacked and occupied
327:
544:
The Biafran 11th Division, which consisted of the 11th, 12th and 18th Battalions, was given the task of defending Onitsha. The 12th Battalion under Col.
557:
268:
545:
272:
320:
97:
46:
69:
586:
Onitsha were totally routed and most were either killed or taken prisoner. Undaunted, Gen. Muhammed ordered a 5,000 man reserve from
313:
76:
743:
512:
to retreat eastwards back towards Biafra. In an attempt to halt the Nigerian advance retreating Biafran soldiers destroyed the
150:
83:
733:
65:
709:
688:
590:
to cross the Niger River into Onitsha but they were once again defeated. Gen. Muhammed ordered troops under Lt. Col.
116:
54:
50:
513:
728:
509:
748:
520:, trapping the Nigerians on the other side of the river. In October 1967 2nd Division soldiers entered
400:
90:
405:
738:
449:
363:
35:
591:
259:
39:
608:
489:
384:
8:
470:
456:
428:
493:
435:
337:
243:
705:
684:
358:
573:
505:
255:
699:
678:
423:
582:
561:
533:
410:
379:
264:
560:
was responsible for defending Onitsha town, and the 11th Battalion under Maj.
722:
701:
Oil, Politics and Violence : Nigeria's Military Coup Culture (1966-1976)
416:
368:
604:
521:
525:
138:
305:
24:
517:
230:
197:
612:
553:
504:
On September 20, 1967, the Nigerian 2nd Division under General
587:
577:
569:
565:
528:
while 2nd Division soldiers began preparing for an invasion.
524:
and began setting up artillery positions on the banks of the
617:
549:
654:
630:
642:
720:
488:(October 4 − October 12, 1967) was a battle and
548:was responsible for defending the area between
508:forced all Biafran soldiers within Nigeria's
321:
603:On November 19, 1967, mercenaries from the
53:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
328:
314:
117:Learn how and when to remove this message
680:Biafra: The Nigerian Civil War 1967-1970
697:
660:
636:
721:
676:
648:
335:
309:
51:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
170:First Invasion of Onitsha (Nigeria)
13:
14:
760:
556:, the 18th Battalion under Col.
236:
223:
156:
149:
23:
704:. New York: Algora Publishing.
157:
670:
1:
744:October 1967 events in Africa
623:
598:
188:(1 week and 1 day)
7:
539:
66:"First Invasion of Onitsha"
10:
765:
564:defended the area between
499:
734:Battles involving Nigeria
486:First Invasion of Onitsha
347:
291:
278:
249:
216:
178:
144:
136:
132:First Invasion of Onitsha
131:
592:Ipoola Alani Akinrinade
260:Ipoola Alani Akinrinade
683:. Helion and Company.
677:Baxter, Peter (2015).
250:Commanders and leaders
698:Siollun, Max (2009).
292:Casualties and losses
609:United Arab Republic
47:improve this article
663:, pp. 163–164.
729:Nigerian Civil War
514:River Niger Bridge
510:Mid-Western Region
494:Nigerian Civil War
492:fought during the
490:military offensive
339:Nigerian Civil War
186:October 4–12, 1967
749:Conflicts in 1967
481:
480:
304:
303:
212:
211:
127:
126:
119:
101:
16:Military conflict
756:
715:
694:
664:
658:
652:
646:
640:
634:
574:Murtala Muhammed
506:Murtala Muhammed
364:Midwest Invasion
342:
340:
330:
323:
316:
307:
306:
256:Murtala Muhammed
242:
240:
239:
229:
227:
226:
180:
179:
160:
159:
153:
129:
128:
122:
115:
111:
108:
102:
100:
59:
27:
19:
764:
763:
759:
758:
757:
755:
754:
753:
739:1967 in Nigeria
719:
718:
712:
691:
673:
668:
667:
659:
655:
647:
643:
635:
631:
626:
601:
542:
502:
482:
477:
415:
373:
343:
338:
336:
334:
271:
267:
258:
237:
235:
224:
222:
208:Biafran victory
200:
187:
174:
173:
172:
171:
168:
167:
166:
165:
161:
123:
112:
106:
103:
60:
58:
44:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
762:
752:
751:
746:
741:
736:
731:
717:
716:
710:
695:
689:
672:
669:
666:
665:
653:
641:
639:, p. 163.
628:
627:
625:
622:
600:
597:
583:Onitsha Market
562:Joseph Achuzie
541:
538:
534:Mohammed Shuwa
501:
498:
479:
478:
476:
475:
467:
466:
460:
459:
454:
446:
445:
439:
438:
433:
426:
421:
413:
408:
403:
397:
396:
390:
389:
382:
377:
371:
366:
361:
355:
354:
348:
345:
344:
333:
332:
325:
318:
310:
302:
301:
298:
294:
293:
289:
288:
285:
281:
280:
276:
275:
265:Joseph Achuzie
262:
252:
251:
247:
246:
233:
219:
218:
214:
213:
210:
209:
206:
202:
201:
196:
194:
190:
189:
184:
176:
175:
169:
163:
162:
155:
154:
148:
147:
146:
145:
142:
141:
134:
133:
125:
124:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
761:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
726:
724:
713:
711:9780875867106
707:
703:
702:
696:
692:
690:9781910777473
686:
682:
681:
675:
674:
662:
657:
651:, p. 28.
650:
645:
638:
633:
629:
621:
619:
614:
610:
606:
596:
593:
589:
584:
579:
575:
571:
567:
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
537:
535:
529:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
507:
497:
495:
491:
487:
474:
473:
469:
468:
465:
462:
461:
458:
455:
453:
452:
448:
447:
444:
441:
440:
437:
434:
432:
431:
427:
425:
422:
420:
419:
414:
412:
409:
407:
406:Port Harcourt
404:
402:
399:
398:
395:
392:
391:
388:
387:
383:
381:
378:
376:
372:
370:
367:
365:
362:
360:
357:
356:
353:
350:
349:
346:
341:
331:
326:
324:
319:
317:
312:
311:
308:
299:
296:
295:
290:
286:
284:10,000-15,000
283:
282:
277:
274:
270:
266:
263:
261:
257:
254:
253:
248:
245:
234:
232:
221:
220:
215:
207:
204:
203:
199:
195:
192:
191:
185:
182:
181:
177:
152:
143:
140:
135:
130:
121:
118:
110:
99:
96:
92:
89:
85:
82:
78:
75:
71:
68: –
67:
63:
62:Find sources:
56:
52:
48:
42:
41:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
700:
679:
661:Siollun 2009
656:
644:
637:Siollun 2009
632:
605:Soviet Union
602:
558:Assam Nsudoh
543:
530:
503:
485:
483:
471:
463:
450:
442:
429:
417:
393:
385:
374:
351:
297:5,000-10,000
269:Assam Nsudoh
217:Belligerents
113:
107:October 2012
104:
94:
87:
80:
73:
61:
45:Please help
33:
671:Works cited
649:Baxter 2015
546:Mike Inveso
526:Niger River
401:2nd Onitsha
375:1st Onitsha
273:Mike Inveso
139:Biafran War
723:Categories
624:References
386:Tiger Claw
77:newspapers
599:Aftermath
472:Tail-Wind
430:Hiroshima
34:does not
540:Invasion
436:Blockade
279:Strength
193:Location
137:Part of
613:MiG-17s
611:flying
518:Onitsha
500:Prelude
457:Umuahia
451:Leopard
411:Abagana
359:UNICORD
300:unknown
287:unknown
231:Nigeria
198:Onitsha
164:Onitsha
91:scholar
55:removed
40:sources
708:
687:
554:Nsugbe
424:Owerri
244:Biafra
241:
228:
205:Result
93:
86:
79:
72:
64:
588:Lagos
578:Lagos
570:Ndoni
566:Atani
522:Asaba
380:Asaba
369:Enugu
98:JSTOR
84:books
706:ISBN
685:ISBN
618:Awka
607:and
568:and
552:and
550:Idah
484:The
464:1970
443:1969
394:1968
352:1967
183:Date
70:news
38:any
36:cite
516:at
418:OAU
49:by
725::
714:.
693:.
329:e
322:t
315:v
120:)
114:(
109:)
105:(
95:·
88:·
81:·
74:·
57:.
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
