Biafra Invades Mid-West Region

On August 9, 1967, approximately 3,000 Biafran troops under Major Victor Banjo crossed into the Mid-West Region, capturing Benin City in just 12 hours with minimal resistance. The invasion was aided by Igbo officers within the Mid-Western military who defected. A short-lived “Republic of Benin” was declared.

The offensive aimed to reach Lagos and end the war quickly but stalled at Ore in the Western Region. Federal forces counterattacked and recaptured the Mid-West by September 20. Banjo was later executed by Ojukwu on charges of treasonous negotiations with the federal side. The failed invasion was Biafra’s only significant offensive operation and marked the turning point of the civil war.