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Operation OAU: Nigeria’s Major Offensive in the Biafran War
Location: Eastern Region, Nigeria
Date: September–October 1968 (with extended clashes into early 1969)
Photo Credit: Nigerian Civil War Archives
Background
Operation OAU was among the largest and bloodiest military campaigns of the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). Launched in September 1968, it aimed to break the secessionist Republic of Biafra’s resistance by capturing three strategic cities: Owerri, Aba, and Umuahia. The operation derived its name from the initials of these towns, which represented critical strongholds in Biafra’s war effort.
At the time, Aba functioned as an industrial and commercial hub, Owerri held significant strategic value, and Umuahia had become the provisional administrative capital after the federal capture of Enugu in October 1967. Nigerian commanders believed that capturing these cities would dismantle Biafra’s governance structure and force a quick end to the war.
Launch and Course of the Offensive
September 2, 1968: Federal troops, commanded by Major General Benjamin Adekunle of the 3rd Marine Commando Division and supported by other divisions, advanced simultaneously on Aba, Owerri, and Umuahia.
Aba: Fell within weeks after heavy fighting. Its fall displaced tens of thousands of civilians and deepened the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Owerri: Initially captured by Nigerian forces but retaken by Biafran troops under Major Joseph Achuzia and Colonel Alexander Madiebo. Owerri remained a focal point of conflict well into early 1969.
Umuahia: Despite repeated assaults, the city remained under Biafran control until December 1969, continuing to serve as the heart of Biafra’s administration.
The fighting was marked by shifting control of towns, ambushes, and brutal close-quarters combat. Both armies suffered severe losses.
Casualties and Humanitarian Impact
Historians estimate that at least 25,000 people died during Operation OAU, though numbers vary widely due to the absence of reliable records. This figure includes both soldiers and civilians trapped in the contested zones.
The offensive also worsened Biafra’s famine crisis. The fall of Aba and sieges around Owerri displaced hundreds of thousands, cutting off food routes and relief supplies. The humanitarian toll of Operation OAU became part of the larger tragedy that drew international attention to the war.
Strategic Outcome
Operation OAU ultimately failed to achieve its objective of crushing Biafra’s command and control:
Aba was secured by federal forces.
Owerri, after months of see-saw fighting, returned to Biafran hands.
Umuahia remained Biafra’s capital until the war’s final months.
The inability of the Nigerian Federal Military Government to secure all three targets prolonged the conflict, forcing new offensives in 1969 and delaying the war’s end until January 1970.
Historical Significance
Operation OAU revealed both the strength and weakness of the warring sides. The federal army was larger, better supplied, and backed by foreign arms, but Biafra demonstrated remarkable resilience and local tactical ingenuity.
The campaign is remembered not only as a turning point in the military struggle but also as a symbol of the human cost of civil war. It showed that victory would not come quickly, and every advance carried with it enormous civilian suffering.
Sources:
Alexander A. Madiebo, The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War (Fourth Dimension Publishers, 1980).
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