Although the first round in the civil war of Nigeria went to the secessionists of Biafra, the tide seemed to have turned against them Saturday. A federal government spokesman said the rebel forces of Lt. Col. C. Odumegwu, the Biafra leader, had lost the important university town of Nsukka, 40 miles from the Biafra capital of Enugu. Nigerian officials claimed more than 2,000 rebels were killed or captured in the siege of Nsukka. Federal troops were reported pursuing fleeing rebels. Up to this point, the federal troops did not seem to be making spectacular headway. They advanced bit by bit, but did not splinter the Biafra forces, who evidently were backed by armed civilians. Federal leader Maj. Gen. Yakubu Gowon said the advance was slow because he had ordered his troops to cause the least possible destruction. Though the federal government refuses to admit it, resistance obviously was greater than expected...

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