Mgbotu-Ukpe Enclave (1967-1970): The Biafran State in a State in Ibusa

- Emeka Esogbue

From the Nigerian Civil War echoes a number of enclaves in the Midwest Region of Nigeria now called "Anioma." The Midwest Region fell to the defunct Biafra and their terrorists who operated from these camps. Although the Midwest Region was rather an undeclared territory of Biafra before the war, the Biafran secesionists found a means of bringing invasion on the region which they conquered in 1967 by forces by Col Banjo and this included Ibusa.

Mgbotu-Ukpe played a huge role and scarcely would any illustrious son or daughter of Ibusa or Anioma within the conscious age of the Nigerian Civil War, claim ignorance of the knowledge of the Mgbotu-Ukpe forest in the Ibusa community. The enclave exists with many stories to the living whether one was a witness of the war or not, being a fabled enjoyer of the war. After the war, up to the present day, the Ibusa children enjoy the legendary stories from the camp handed them by war-witnesses patents.

Perhaps, a group of young Ogboli musicians made a unique preservation of the incident through a musical recording a few years back, singing their experiences in Mgbotu-Ukpe to their traditional listeners.

The post-war group under the name of Otu Ndu Ofu Dancing Group of Ibusa left an indelible mark with the modern war-songs composed to historically document their experiences in Mgbotu-Ukpe. The members were mostly militia soldiers from the Ogboli part of Ibusa who participated in the war and were stationed in Mgbotu-Ukpe. The source of the song was to mourn fellow Biafran militia men who fell to bullets during the war and these soldiers were mentioned.

The attempt to document the civil war experience of Ibusa seems incomplete without the Mgbotu-Ukpe, which was an enclave of refuge for the civilian refugees, military enclave for soldiers, base for the militia groups and a state for Biafran troops outside the declared Biafran Republic. Mgbotu-Ukpe was also a major trading centre for soldiers and some desperate civilians, riskily eager to make some fortunes. Everyone got what he wanted from Mgbotu-Ukpe.

In his article titled, "Biafran Enclaves and the Militia Activities," Odigwe A. Nwaokocha has categorized the various classes of the Mgbotu-Ukpe members. The writer ably identified 4 different categories and situated them in order of their existence, stay, purpose and activities. In understanding the origin of the existence of Mgbotu-Ukpe Enclave, we shall rely on Nwaokocha.

The group of members were Igbos of the Southeast who were Biafran soldiers. They were the original members of the Midwest Region invaders who got trapped following the pursuit and recovery of the Nigerian Troop. They were part of the August 9, 1967 military expedition that invaded the Midwest. When the Nigerian Troops advanced into Aniomaland from the Warri and Benin axis, they blew up the Oboshi River Bridge, leaving the Biafran soldiers trapped in the process because they were cut off unable to leave unless they passed through the enemy territory. The soldiers had no choice than to stay back and fight in the best way they could. They had to survive the tide after all.

The second class of Mgbotu-Ukpe members concerned a number of original Biafran soldiers who were part of the invading Biafran forces. They willingly refused to rejoin retreating Biafran forces from the Federal troop. For some reasons, they were at ease, staying back and fighting from the camp. They were Anioma soldiers who were though still committed to the Biafran ideology but preferred to remain in Aniomaland to fight. The third category was composed by Anioma young men whose commitment was to defend the Anioma territory against what they perceived as the atrocities of the Federal troop.

The last group, according to Odigwe Nwaokocha comprised the Biafran military specifically detailed to the area by Biafran Military to fight in Aniomaland. The entire soldiers in Ibusa's Mgbotu-Ukpe were ideologically committed to Biafran cause but practically fighting to safeguard the Anioma area from take over by the military and Ibusa was the grass that suffered the fight of the two elephants.

They should have joined their useless Biafra without dragging the entire Midwest into their madness