page_title: Midwest Invasion of 1967
section_title: Pre-War Events
hierarchical_section_title: Midwest Invasion of 1967 / Background / Pre-War Events
caption_attribution_description: Map of Nigerian regions, 1963-1967. Info from http://www.statoids.com/ung.html, http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/westafrica/nigeriaind.html and http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g8840.ct003019
context_page_description: The Midwest Invasion of 1967 codenamed Operation Torch. was a military operation between Nigerian and Biafran military forces during the Nigerian Civil War. The invasion began on August 9 when 3,000 Biafran soldiers led by General Victor Banjo crossed the River Niger Bridge into Asaba. Upon reaching Agbor, the Biafrans split up. With the 12th Battalion moving west capturing Benin City and Ore, The 18th Battalion swung south, taking Warri, Sapele and Ughelli. While the 13th Battalion headed north for Auchi, Agenebode and Okene. Simultaneously, a plot to capture Mid-Western Governor David Ejoor at his home in Benin failed. Nevertheless, the Biafrans, meeting virtually no resistance, had seized the entire Mid-Western Region in less than 12 hours.
  Plans were drawn for the 12th Battalion to continue its advance towards Lagos and Ibadan. However, it was cripplingly delayed due to arguments between Ojukwu and Victor Banjo on whom to appoint as governor of the Mid-West. Giving enough time for Gowon to assemble a defensive line in the west. Also, during the occupation there was widespread hostility between native Urhobo-Isoko, Ijoid and Itsekiri people against the occupying Igbo soldiers.
context_section_description: Following the 1966 Nigerian coup d'état and the subsequent 1966 Nigerian counter-coup, a wave of resentment and hostility against Igbos because of their involvement in the former coup, culminated in the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom in which 30,000 Igbos and easterners have been estimated to have been killed. Following the erosion of military discipline and trust caused by the killings, a new regional military structure was formed with Military districts in the four regions (Northern, Western, Mid-Western, and Eastern) of the country. However this raised problems as the ethnic structure of the Mid-Western military was heavily lopsided towards the Midwestern Igbos, who not only made up a sizable portion of troops, but over 75% of the 42 Mid-western officers were Igbo, In an attempt to prevent abuse of power Ejoor refused to allow a group consisting of Yon DaKolo and Lt. Col. Mike Okwechime from importing weapons. Instead choosing to ask the federal government for weapons directly, of which they sent a small amount of Mark V rifles for the 300 soldiers in the area. This, along with the lack of effort to raise any new troops left the Mid-Western region in an incapacitated state by the time the Biafrans invaded in 1967.
  At the September 1966 constitutional conference for the future of the country, the Midwest was the only region in favor of a strong federation. Seeing that the Oil, Cocoa and Palm Oil rich region would quickly find itself a target of expansionist leanings by its larger, more powerful and consolidated neighbors. this was disagreed apron by many Midwestern Igbo officers, who believed the confederate and secessionist proposals by the other regions was a better approach to the issue, however this was dismissed by Ejoor and his cabinet. Further negotiations were held in Aburi and Benin. Even so, differences in the interpretation in these accords led to an even greater divide between Ojukwu and the Federal Government. later leading to Biafria's declaration of independence on May 30, 1967
caption: Nigerian military districts at the time of the civil war
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