ON THIS DAY IN 1968: NIGERIAN FORCES FAILED TO CAPTURE OWERRI, ABA, AND UMUAHIA

In 1968, the Nigerian Army launched a major offensive to seize the Biafran strongholds of Owerri, Aba, and Umuahia.

It was a campaign they believed would crush Biafra’s resistance and bring the young republic to its knees.

They called it Operation OAU, a code name formed from the initials of the three cities they sought to capture.
But what followed was one of the most brutal and fiercely contested battles of the entire Biafran War.

From early September, Nigerian artillery began pounding Aba, and for 12 days, fierce house-to-house combat raged.
Bodies littered the streets, hospitals overflowed with the wounded, and smoke choked the skies.
By September 14, Aba fell, but the victory was short-lived.

The battle shifted toward Owerri and Umuahia, where the terrain of thick forests and rivers favored the defending Biafran troops.
Despite being outnumbered, ill-equipped, and starved of reinforcements, Biafran soldiers fought with unyielding resolve.

At Umuahia, the Nigerian 3rd Marine Division faced such heavy resistance that Gen. Benjamin Adekunle radioed for help, warning that his division risked total annihilation. Reinforcements never came.
By October 1, nearly 15,000 Nigerian soldiers had been killed or wounded, and the once-confident offensive had crumbled.

The Nigerian forces retreated to Port Harcourt, leaving Owerri isolated, and in an incredible twist, Biafran troops recaptured Aba on October 15, 1968.

Operation OAU, meant to signal the fall of Biafra, ended as a story of Biafran resilience, strategy, and unbreakable will.
Against all odds, the defenders of Owerri, Aba, and Umuahia proved that courage could outlast even the mightiest army.