| Operation Tiger Claw |
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| Date |
October 17–19, 1967 |
| Location |
Calabar |
| Result |
Nigerian victory |
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Operation Tiger Claw (October 17–19, 1967) was a military
conflict between Nigerian and Biafran military forces. The battle took
place in the major port of
Calabar. The Nigerian were led by the infamous
Benjamin Adekunle while the Biafrans were led by Maj.
Ogbu Oji. The aftermath was a major loss to the Biafrans because it cost the Biafrans one of their largest ports.
Background
On May 30, 1967 the
Republic of Biafra declared independence from
Nigeria. Biafra was created under the rule of
Odumegwu Ojukwu. This was caused by the
Anti-Igbo sentiment of 1966 which caused the deaths of thousands of
Igbo people. One month after secession on July 6, 1967 Nigerian troops invaded Biafra at the
Battle of Nsukka. The Biafrans soon capitalized and invaded the Midwestern Region of Nigeria which started the
Midwest Invasion of 1967. The Biafrans kept control of Nigeria's midwest region and even created the
Republic of Benin
which fell to Nigerian troops on September 20, 1967. Before the end of
the Midwest Invasion the Nigerians invaded the Biafran capital of
Enugu.
The
Fall of Enugu ended on October 4, 1967 with a Nigerian victory. The Biafran capital was then moved to
Umuahia where it remained for 2 years. On October 7, 1967 Nigerian troops took control of
Bonny and made their way to Calabar.
Invasion
In October 1967 a Nigerian Navy armada on a naval campaign left the port of
Bonny on route to
Calabar. Inside the ships is the heavily armed troops of the Nigerian 3rd Marine Division under the command of Gen.
Benjamin Adekunle.
At the time Calabar was defended by the Biafran 9th Battalion under the
command of Maj. Ogbu Oji, who was responsible for the defense of
Biafra's entire southeast coastline from
Opobo to the
Cameroon
border. On October 17 Biafran defenses on Calabar's beaches came under
heavy aerial and naval bombardment. Less than 24 hours later the
Nigerian 8th Battalion under the command of Maj. Ochefu disembarked from
Lokoja
and was able to capture Calabar's cement factory. Later that day the
Nigerian 33rd Battalion landed on Calabar's beach, among them was Gen.
Adekunle himself. The small but stubborn Biafran resistance was
overwhelmed but managed to retain control over certain parts of Calabar
and its surrounding area. Bloody hand to hand fighting ensued after
Nigerian troops began to enter Calabar from 3 different positions. Maj.
Oji was seriously wounded during the fighting and evacuated to
Umuahia
while his outnumbered troops retreated to new defensive positions on
the outskirts of Calabar. Lt. Col. David Okafor replaced Oji and decided
that he would not counterattack until he was re-enforced by the Biafran
7th Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. Adigio. The 7th Battalion
at first refused to embark to Calabar because their machine guns had
been sent to Biafran troops fighting against Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari
and had been left with single-shot bolt action rifles. After the 7th
Battalion finally accepted the task Lt. Col. Adigio was replaced with
Col. Festus Akagha. On October 19 the 7th Battalion arrived in Calabar
where they were met by Nigerian armored cars, which they had no answer
to. Col. Akagha relayed a message to President
Odumegwu Ojukwu
in which he stated the situation in Calabar was hopeless and that they
were in desperate need of assistance. In the face of imminent
devastation Ojukwu sent newly conscripted white mercenaries to Calabar
but they came under immediate heavy Nigerian fire. After suffering
unusually high casualties the remaining mercenaries retreated north and
fled
Biafra, never to return.
Aftermath
The day after the surrender all captured Biafran troops were forced
to give up all of their weapons. After Operation Tiger Claw the two
sides were met at a stalemate until the
Capture of Port Harcourt. One day after the Capture of Port Harcourt Benjamin Adekunle with general
Murtala Mohammed invaded the Biafran cities of
Owerri,
Aba, and
Umuahia which started
Operation OAU.
Gen. Adekunle claimed that he could capture all three cities in two
weeks but in reality it took six months and the Nigerians were unable to
capture the Biafran capital of Umuahia. The Biafrans then took back the
city of
Owerri
in January 1969. There were only minor scuffles until Nigerians
captured Umuahia on December 24, 1969. The war finally ended on January
15, 1970 after the ending of
Operation Tail-Wind.
wikipedia.
