Anas Mohammed Abdullahi
Department Of History and International Studies,
Gombe State University, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria
E-Mail: Abdullahianasmohammed@gmail.Com
Andrew Shalom Kunga
Department Of History and International Studies
Gombe State University, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria
E-Mail: Askunga@Gmail.Com
& Usman Aliyu
Department Of General Studies,
Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State
Email: Usmanaliyuseptember1976@Gmail.Com
Abstract
The development and involvement of militia groups in the Nigeria Civil War, 1967-1970, was a turning point in transforming the nature, intensity and severity of the war. Though the militias were not regular army that receives any form of conventional military training; they were ill-equipped with local gadgets and unsophisticated weapons. However, they distinguished themselves as imperative instruments of war that regurgitate offensive and defensive against the adversary. The militias, though of historical antiquity, were formed and deployed into the battle field by the declared Republic of Biafra in 1967, in order to complement their highly insufficient military and weaponry that manifested during the early pace of the war in 1967. These groups of indigenous Biafrans deployed in strategic places, used their knowledge of the terrain and cultural affiliation to the area to wreck a lot of havoc on the Nigeria army. It was this effort among others that culminated in the capturing of the Midwest and fortification of many susceptible Biafra‘s territories against the federal troops. However, in no time the militia became instrumental force that posed threat, and challenge the regular Biafran army; this according to Alexander Madiebo led to their disbandment before the end of the war. This paper therefore assesses as its main thesis the role played by the militia in the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970. This involves a discussion on the origin and development of the group, their contribution during the war, challenges faced and why they were discarded before the end of the war. To achieve this, the paper adopts historical methodology.
Keywords: Militia, Civil War and Military