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

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

- Emeka Esogbue 

The Nigerian Civil War echoes several enclaves in the Midwestern Region of Nigeria now called "Anioma." The Midwestern Region fell to the defunct Biafra and their terrorists who operated from some camps located in some communities of the Enuani Nation. Although the Midwestern Region was rather an undeclared territory of independent Biafra before the war, the Biafran secessionists found a sly means of invading and occupying the region in 1967 with the aid of forces led by Col Banjo. One of the territories captured by them was the Ibusa community which forms this discussion. 

Mgbotu-Ukpe played a huge role and scarcely would any illustrious son or daughter of Ibusa or Enuani Nation within the conscious age of the Nigerian Civil War claim ignorance of the existence of the Mgbotu-Ukpe forest in the Ibusa community. The enclave existed with many stories to the living whether one was a witness of the war or not. After the war, up to the present day, the Ibusa children enjoy the legendary stories from the camp handed to them by their parents who witnessed the war. 

Perhaps, a group of young Ogboli musicians made a more lasting and unique preservation of the camp through a musical recording, a few years back, singing their experiences in Mgbotu-Ukpe and enjoyed their reminiscent listeners. 

The post-war Band under the name of Otu Ndu Ofu Dancing Group of Ibusa left an indelible mark with the civil war songs composed to historically document their experiences in the Mgbotu-Ukpe war. The members of the Band were mostly surviving 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 musically chorused as a remembrance. 

The attempt to document the civil war experience of Ibusa seems incomplete without the organized Mgbotu-Ukpe role in the armed conflict, which was an enclave of refuge for the civilian refugees, soldiers, and militia groups and a state for Biafran and non-Biafran troops outside the declared Biafran Republic from around the Anioma Region. Mgbotu-Ukpe was also a major trading centre for soldiers and some desperate civilians, riskily eager to make some fortunes and maybe, too, survive on some economic means. Everyone got what he wanted from Mgbotu-Ukpe; peace, shelter, blood, trade, military and guerilla order, and command. It was a risky place to be but necessary as a temporary recourse for safety.

In his article titled, "Biafran Enclaves and the Militia Activities," Odigwe A. Nwaokocha 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. 

Factually, the group of members were Igbos of the Southeast who were Biafran soldiers. They were the original members of the Midwest invaders who got trapped following the hot 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 in Ibusa, leaving the Biafran soldiers trapped in the process because they were cut off thus, unable to leave unless they passed through the enemy territory which they dreaded. The soldiers had no choice but 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 were several original Biafran soldiers who were part of the invading Biafran forces. They willingly refused to rejoin fellow retreating Biafran forces who pulled back from the dangers of superior firepower. For some reason, they were at ease, staying back and fighting from the camp. They were Anioma soldiers who were still committed to the Biafran ideology but preferred to remain in Aniomaland to fight for the reason of trust. The third category was composed of 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 the Biafran cause but practically fighting to safeguard the Anioma area from possible takeover by the military and Ibusa was the grass that suffered the fight of the two elephants.

Nwaokocha, in his work also provided us with the location of Mgboto-Ukpe. 

"Located in the Umuidi family farmland somewhere to the northwest of Ibusa, it is tucked into the tropical rainforest sandwiched between Okpanam, Issele-Azagba, Azagba-Ogwashi, and Ogwashi-Uku. It lies on a semi-plateau as one approaches it involves (sic) ascending to the top. Except through an avenue one cannot get to Ibusa through any land route without crossing a stream. The singular exception to this is the Umuidi farm that connects Azagba-Ogwashi. That is where the huge camp in the Mgbotu-Ukpe was located."

Mgbotu-Ukpe could well be one of the geographical blessings to Ibusa, a community with natural protection from wars. Buried inside many communities among them, Asaba, Ogwashi-Uku, Okpanam, and Azagba-Ogwashi and strategically sitting along the road, from which the name "Igbuzo" is derived, Ibusa is a natural sanctuary where war could hardly consume her inhabitants. This explains why Murtala's pogrom defunct Asaba Division pogrom soldiers found it difficult to 'inherit' the community in a similar hate fashion meted to Asaba and Isheagu. 

Mgbotu-Ukpe was therefore a paradox of an accessible and inaccessible enclave, a terrorist haven because it was situated inside a huge forest. Initially, Ibusa civilians had found safety in the camp following the Biafran invasion and occupation of their homeland until Lt. Michael Nwaelum popularly called "Oliewu n'aji" turned it into the military camp that it dangerously became, advertently or inadvertently, inviting other militiamen from Anioma and the East to the camp and bringing problems upon the refugees.

The Ibusa war accounts believe that the Ibusa fiercest civil war battle was fought in Mgbotu-Ukpe where perhaps, more lives were lost. With the Biafra that invaded the peace of the community to the Nigerian forces that attempted to neutralize their presence, unaccountable lives were lost. Since the presence of the enemy was already known in Mgbotu-Ukpe, the Nigerian forces, unable to locate the camp, sought every means possible to discover it. 

Nwaokocha's reference provides an interesting account of an Ibusa son, Paul Osonye Obodoechine, and a prince of the Ogwashi-Uku royal house who attempted to lead Nigerian soldiers to Mgbotu-Ukpe but was shot on their way to the camp with their bloodied body displayed in Mgbotu-Ukpe. Nevertheless, whatever has a beginning must have an end hence, the invasion of the camp became costly for the Anioma inhabitants, which Rev Fr Kunirum Osia, the Parish Priest of St Augustine's Catholic Church, Ibusa had to protest.

Although Mgbotu-Ukpe fell to the Nigerian troop, its place, and significance which made it appear like a state in a state remains uppermost in the study of the impacts of war for the students of diplomacy and power. Incredibly, after the war, Oliewunaji and his men, defending Ibusa, did not know that the war had ended until Ibusa emissaries were sent to inform them as noted by Dr Anthony Nwankwo, a writer of history from Ibusa. 

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