By admin
Greetings my people ! Today we bring a story we have already covered, but this time with pictures and more detailed on-ground report. I guess that spares me giving you a long write-up about the topic.
As you can deduce from the headline, we are revisting the destruction of the Nigerian army’s 2nd Division led by Col Muritala Mohammed, at Abagana in today’s Anambara state, during the Biafran war.
The 2nd Div of the Nigerian army, was hastily put together by Col Muritala Mohammed in the West on Nigeria, after the Biafran 101 Div Expeditionary force led by Col Victor Banjo occupied the Mid-West and then crossed into the West and were headed for Lagos, to unseat the Nigerian military high command and probably end the war quickly in Biafra’s favour.
The 101 div went as far as Ore in today’s Ondo state, and Okitipupa too, Col Mike Ivenso penetrated as far as Okene in today’s Kogi state, to blow up the river Niger bridge at Jebba, some 150 miles away and protect the northern flanks of the spearhead.
After Col Banjo stalled in Benin city, the surprise was lost and even a week later, the opportunity for a Biafran knockout blow was still feasible; even Prof Wole Soyinka was forced to ask why the delay ? in his brillian book ‘ You Must Set Fort at Dawn’, covered in our book section – Please check it out.
These delays, gave Nigeria and Col Mohammed the chance and time to hastily form the 2nd Div and immidiately counter attack, pushing the Biafrans, who now in complete disarray, started to withdraw to avoid being cut-off. Before long, the Western Biafran military expedition dissipated and they beelined back to their starting point of Onitcha, leaving the Igbo peoples of the Mid-West exposed to bloodthirsty Nigerian forces, a NY Times report at the time said that from Umunede to Asaba, only women were to be found because most of the malefolk had been killed.
What happened at Asaba with the genocide of the male population by the advancing Nigerian forces, has been touched on in our former post on the Abagana battle, also the failed river Niger crossings by Col Muritala Mohammed led 2nd Div has been blogged as well. The 2nd Div was forced to swallow its pride and cross into Div 1 area of Col Mohammed Shuwa, his rival, and a humiliation for him, at Idah Niger crossing, in order to desend southwards to his elusive goal of Onitcha.
When he got near Onitcha after fighting some gruelling battles with the Biafran forces, at various towns like Awka etc, the Biafrans defeated him one more time in a small battle just outside Abagana and played a threatening to him over the speakers to him, this acording to Gen Alex Madiebo, made him mad that he broke out and dashed for Onitcha and finally achieved his goal 8 months after trying.
But in doing so, Col Muritala Mohammed, left the bulk of his military hardware and men behind, and needed these to join him in Onitcha. This led to the biggest military supply convoy in the history of African warfare to set off to Onitcha, comprising of some 96 trucks laden with all forms of artilery, bombs, mortars, shells and small arm bullets etc; supported by armoured cars and ferrets.
This fearsome convoy was ambushed by the Biafran forces and was completely routed, and this was one of the Biggest victories of the war for the Biafrans and a massive humiliation for the Nigerians, leading to dismissal of the divisional commander by the high command in Lagos – some say he quit by himself.
We have attached a drammatic British newspaper report for you all to educate yourselves with and learn the history. The casualty figures for the Nigerian army given by this report is quite shocking and staggering – considering that Col Mohammed had already lost about 5000 men trying to cross the Niger at Asaba forcing Major Akinrinade to quit his division in disgust.
Please click to enlarge and leave a comment below:
