41:
161:
149:
116:
129:
48:
486:
In his own words, Uchendu said the sight of the convoy almost paralyzed his troops. His boys were so anxious to start firing, more out of panic than anything else. He asked them to remain calm until he gave the command. He allowed much of the
Nigerian 2 Division convoy to pass through. His boys were
494:
In panic, soldiers who already crossed over into the
Biafran line ran in different directions in total confusion. The Biafran soldiers attacked. They radioed the regular troops and they joined in the attack. When Uchendu learned that Muritala Muhammed was with the convoy and somewhere in Nawfia, he
490:
As he was guiding the soldier with the rocket launcher on what to do to the invading convoy and when best to strike, the soldier accidentally pressed the trigger, letting go of the rocket. Luckily, he hit a fuel tanker. The tanker exploded and threw its contents onto a nearby armour carrier setting
437:
and began making their way towards
Onitsha, finally capturing the city after several attempts. The Nigerian Forces now intended to link up the 1st Division at Enugu with the 2nd Division at Onitsha. To this end the Nigerian 2nd Division moved out towards Enugu, in a long convoy supported by armored
536:
and other authors give the strength of the ambushed
Nigerian troops as 6000 men supported by armor, of which almost all were lost. Chinua Achebe gives the much lower figure of about 500 Nigerian troops. All sources state that the convoy was about 100 vehicles long including troop transport,
473:
equipment were destroyed or captured by the
Biafran troops. After the rocket attack the Biafran soldiers opened fire on the convoy with small arms fire killing many more Nigerian soldiers. It was during this ambush that the Nigerian army suffered the heaviest single loss in the civil war.
487:
shocked why he would allow them go through into the
Biafran held zone. They were nervous and suspicious, yet they trusted his military gallantry and so awaited to know his strategy. He said they concluded that the war was over, but as brave soldiers, they must fight to the last!
482:
The successful ambush at
Abagana gave both Biafran soldiers and civilians hope in the war as well as temporarily halting the Nigerian advance into Biafran territory. General Murtala Muhammed was relieved of his command and never commanded a division again.
393:
by
Biafran troops led by Major Jonathan Uchendu that wiped out the Nigerian 2nd Division. Of the 6,000 Nigerian troops ambushed, only a very small number survived, including the 2nd Division's commander, General
414:
into the city. The occupying
Nigerians didn't pursue retreating Biafran soldiers and instead opted to loot and burn the Onitsha market to the ground. The Biafran 11th and 18th Battalions under Major
824:
519:
and others also credit
Uchendu. From all indications, Achuzie was the commanding officer of Uchendu`s division and strategically planned the operation, while Uchendu led the actual ambush.
222:
636:
215:
208:
816:
446:
On 31 March 1968, a convoy consisting of 106 vehicles belonging to the Nigerian 2nd Division transporting 6,000 soldiers, as well as armour from
469:
which caused an enormous explosion destroying many of the convoy's armoured vehicles and killing a large number of Nigerian troops. 350 tons of
872:
640:
862:
799:
771:
740:
715:
614:
567:
515:
as commander of the operation, Major-General Alexander Madiebo (General Officer Commanding the Biafran Army) credits Major Uchendu.
40:
668:
857:
852:
295:
300:
269:
867:
344:
258:
165:
279:
495:
set off hurriedly to capture him but was late as Muritala was sighted taking off with a helicopter.
365:
351:
323:
419:
390:
330:
232:
160:
134:
29:
763:
757:
795:
767:
736:
711:
664:
610:
563:
529:
253:
733:
The Tragedy of Victory: On-the-spot Account of the Nigeria-Biafra War in the Atlantic Theatre
395:
153:
423:
318:
426:
and attacked Onitsha from two directions, capturing and killing most Nigerian soldiers.
603:
512:
415:
274:
846:
516:
470:
311:
263:
585:
The post-Gowon Nigerian accounts of the Civil War, 1975 - 1990: a preliminary review
533:
792:
A BIAFRAN SOLDIER’S SURVIVAL FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH: NIGERIAN – BIAFRAN CIVIL WAR
817:"Abagana Ambush: How Biafran Army Killed Over 500 Nigerian Troops in One Attack"
430:
411:
637:"'There was a country': Ogbunigwe, Abagana ambush; Achebe, Okigbo and Ifeajuna"
410:
and continued the assault for eight days, before a 10 boat armada crossed the
429:
In December 1967 the Nigerian 2nd Division and the 6th Battalion crossed the
462:
466:
465:
rocket missiles were launched by the Biafrans at a tanker truck carrying
455:
447:
407:
148:
121:
88:
84:
406:
On 4 October 1967, the Nigerian Army's 2nd Division began bombarding
386:
200:
458:
by a small unit of Biafran soldiers led by Major Jonathan Uchendu.
451:
434:
204:
762:(2ème éd. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p.
528:
International journalists present in Biafra at the time like
587:. Africa Peace Research Institute, Lagos. p. 17.
756:Appiah, Kwame Anthony; Gates, Henry Louis (2005).
602:
661:The Biafra Story: The Making of an African Legend
537:ammunition transport, tankers and armored cars.
688:. Presentation de F. de Bonneville, Paris Solar.
686:La Mort du Biafra: Photographies du Gilles Caron
491:everything ablaze, causing multiple explosions.
22:
701:
699:
697:
695:
596:
594:
216:
8:
785:
783:
511:Though John de St. Jorre mentions Colonel
454:was ambushed and decimated in the town of
223:
209:
201:
19:
654:
652:
650:
710:. Helion & Co Ltd. pp. 31–50.
708:Biafra The Nigerian Civil War 1967-1970
630:
628:
626:
550:
504:
560:The Brothers' War: Biafra and Nigeria
438:cars, on the 31st day of March 1968.
7:
639:. The Nation Online. Archived from
735:. Spectrum Books Limited, Ibadan.
14:
827:from the original on 30 June 2021
815:Omipidan, Teslim (17 June 2021).
635:Osuji, Steve (23 October 2012).
159:
147:
127:
114:
46:
39:
47:
1:
873:March 1968 events in Africa
659:Forsyth, Frederick (1971).
558:de St. Jorre, John (2012).
889:
863:Battles involving Nigeria
242:
186:
171:
140:
107:
67:
35:
27:
790:Nwadike, Jerome (2010).
385:(March 31, 1968) was an
99:Decisive Biafran victory
60:Abagana ambush (Nigeria)
601:Achebe, Chinua (2012).
706:Baxter, Peter (2014).
684:Caron, Gilles (1968).
583:Oyewẹsọ, Syan (1992).
141:Commanders and leaders
731:Alabi-Isama, Godwin.
187:Casualties and losses
643:on 13 January 2016.
605:There was a country
562:. Faber and Faber.
858:Nigerian Civil War
391:Nigerian Civil War
234:Nigerian Civil War
30:Nigerian Civil War
853:Conflicts in 1968
530:Frederick Forsyth
376:
375:
199:
198:
103:
102:
880:
837:
836:
834:
832:
812:
806:
805:
787:
778:
777:
753:
747:
746:
728:
722:
721:
703:
690:
689:
681:
675:
674:
656:
645:
644:
632:
621:
620:
608:
598:
589:
588:
580:
574:
573:
555:
538:
526:
520:
509:
396:Murtala Muhammed
259:Midwest Invasion
237:
235:
225:
218:
211:
202:
166:Jonathan Uchendu
164:
163:
154:Murtala Muhammed
152:
151:
133:
131:
130:
120:
118:
117:
69:
68:
50:
49:
43:
20:
888:
887:
883:
882:
881:
879:
878:
877:
868:1968 in Nigeria
843:
842:
841:
840:
830:
828:
814:
813:
809:
802:
789:
788:
781:
774:
755:
754:
750:
743:
730:
729:
725:
718:
705:
704:
693:
683:
682:
678:
671:
658:
657:
648:
634:
633:
624:
617:
600:
599:
592:
582:
581:
577:
570:
557:
556:
552:
547:
542:
541:
527:
523:
510:
506:
501:
480:
444:
404:
379:
378:
377:
372:
310:
268:
238:
233:
231:
229:
178:
158:
146:
128:
126:
115:
113:
91:
63:
62:
61:
58:
57:
56:
55:
51:
12:
11:
5:
886:
884:
876:
875:
870:
865:
860:
855:
845:
844:
839:
838:
807:
800:
794:. p. 57.
779:
772:
748:
741:
723:
716:
691:
676:
669:
646:
622:
615:
590:
575:
568:
549:
548:
546:
543:
540:
539:
521:
513:Joseph Achuzie
503:
502:
500:
497:
479:
476:
443:
440:
416:Joseph Achuzie
403:
400:
383:Abagana Ambush
374:
373:
371:
370:
362:
361:
355:
354:
349:
341:
340:
334:
333:
328:
321:
316:
308:
303:
298:
292:
291:
285:
284:
277:
272:
266:
261:
256:
250:
249:
243:
240:
239:
230:
228:
227:
220:
213:
205:
197:
196:
193:
189:
188:
184:
183:
180:
177:6,000 soldiers
174:
173:
169:
168:
156:
143:
142:
138:
137:
124:
110:
109:
105:
104:
101:
100:
97:
93:
92:
83:
81:
77:
76:
73:
65:
64:
59:
53:
52:
45:
44:
38:
37:
36:
33:
32:
25:
24:
23:Abagana Ambush
18:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
885:
874:
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
850:
848:
826:
822:
818:
811:
808:
803:
801:9781453513811
797:
793:
786:
784:
780:
775:
773:9780195170559
769:
765:
761:
760:
752:
749:
744:
742:9789789260393
738:
734:
727:
724:
719:
717:9781909982369
713:
709:
702:
700:
698:
696:
692:
687:
680:
677:
672:
666:
662:
655:
653:
651:
647:
642:
638:
631:
629:
627:
623:
618:
616:9780141973678
612:
607:
606:
597:
595:
591:
586:
579:
576:
571:
569:9780571287376
565:
561:
554:
551:
544:
535:
531:
525:
522:
518:
517:Chinua Achebe
514:
508:
505:
498:
496:
492:
488:
484:
477:
475:
472:
471:Nigerian Army
468:
464:
459:
457:
453:
449:
441:
439:
436:
432:
427:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
401:
399:
397:
392:
388:
384:
369:
368:
364:
363:
360:
357:
356:
353:
350:
348:
347:
343:
342:
339:
336:
335:
332:
329:
327:
326:
322:
320:
317:
315:
314:
309:
307:
304:
302:
301:Port Harcourt
299:
297:
294:
293:
290:
287:
286:
283:
282:
278:
276:
273:
271:
267:
265:
262:
260:
257:
255:
252:
251:
248:
245:
244:
241:
236:
226:
221:
219:
214:
212:
207:
206:
203:
194:
191:
190:
185:
181:
176:
175:
170:
167:
162:
157:
155:
150:
145:
144:
139:
136:
125:
123:
112:
111:
106:
98:
95:
94:
90:
86:
82:
79:
78:
75:31 March 1968
74:
71:
70:
66:
42:
34:
31:
26:
21:
16:
829:. Retrieved
820:
810:
791:
758:
751:
732:
726:
707:
685:
679:
660:
641:the original
604:
584:
578:
559:
553:
534:Gilles Caron
524:
507:
493:
489:
485:
481:
460:
445:
428:
420:Assam Nsudoh
405:
382:
380:
366:
358:
345:
337:
324:
312:
305:
288:
280:
246:
182:700 soldiers
179:106 vehicles
108:Belligerents
15:
609:. Penguin.
431:Niger River
412:Niger River
389:during the
296:2nd Onitsha
270:1st Onitsha
192:5,800-5,900
847:Categories
831:22 October
670:1848846061
545:References
402:Background
281:Tiger Claw
478:Aftermath
463:Ogbunigwe
461:Homemade
422:formed a
418:and Col.
367:Tail-Wind
325:Hiroshima
825:Archived
821:OldNaija
759:Africana
467:gasoline
331:Blockade
172:Strength
80:Location
28:Part of
456:Abagana
448:Onitsha
408:Onitsha
352:Umuahia
346:Leopard
306:Abagana
254:UNICORD
122:Nigeria
89:Nigeria
85:Abagana
54:Abagana
798:
770:
739:
714:
667:
613:
566:
442:Ambush
424:pincer
387:ambush
319:Owerri
135:Biafra
132:
119:
96:Result
499:Notes
452:Enugu
275:Asaba
264:Enugu
195:Light
833:2021
796:ISBN
768:ISBN
737:ISBN
712:ISBN
665:ISBN
611:ISBN
564:ISBN
435:Idah
381:The
359:1970
338:1969
289:1968
247:1967
72:Date
764:453
450:to
433:at
313:OAU
849::
823:.
819:.
782:^
766:.
694:^
663:.
649:^
625:^
593:^
532:,
398:.
87:,
835:.
804:.
776:.
745:.
720:.
673:.
619:.
572:.
224:e
217:t
210:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
