Military Ruler Reportedly Determined to Destroy Secession of Area at Risk of War - All signs in Lagos Wednesday indicated that the federal military government of Nigeria is determined to destroy the secession of the Eastern Region, come what may, even a war and chaos. There seemed to be no bluff in the threat of Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon, the federal military ruler, to try to crush the East, which proclaimed itself the independent republic of Biafra on Tuesday. According to reliable reports, a few thousand federal troops, almost all northerners, were waiting below the Benue River along the northwestern border of Biafra, hoping to strike at nearby Enugu, the capital of the East. Only a logistical buildup seemed to stand in the way of an attempt. Meanwhile, Gowon tried to harass the East by blockade and enforced isolation...

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