FEDERAL TROOPS ON BOAT; VISITING CHURCHMEN; WRECKED TANK; PRISONERS; CAPTURED EQUIPMENT; OIL INSTALLATION.




Initials JP/S/RM/SGM



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Background: FEDERAL NIGERIAN TROOPS ARE BUSY CONSOLIDATING THEIR POSITION ON THE VITAL OIL INSTALLATION BASE OF BONNY ISLAND. THE ISLAND IS IN THE TIDAL CHANNEL LEADING TO THE BIAFRAN STRONGHOLD OF PORT HARCOURT, THE LAST BIG CITY STILL IN BIAFRAN HANDS.

BONNY ISLAND HAS BEEN FIERCELY CONTESTED BY BOTH SIDES SINCE THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR BEGAN. INTERMITTENT REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED OF HEAVY FIGHTING ON THE ISLAND. TWO WEEKS AGO, BIAFRA CLAIMED THAT 600 FEDERAL TROOPS WERE KILLED BY THEIR FORCES. THE BIAFRANS CLAIM THAT BONNY ISLAND IS STILL UNDER THEIR CONTROL DESPITE COUNTER CLAIMS FROM LAGOS THAT THE OIL BASE IS FIRMLY ENTRENCHED BY FEDERAL TROOPS. FEDERAL AMPHIBIOUS TROOPS, USING BONNY AS A BASE, SAY THEY HAVE RECENTLY SEIZED DAWES ISLAND FURTHER UP THE CHANNEL TOWARDS PORT HARCOURT. THE BIG INDUSTRIAL PORT OF 100,000 PEOPLE IS A PRIME TARGET OF LAGOS.

ON BONNY ISLAND, FOREIGN MISSIONARIES HAVE ARRIVED TO ATTEMPT TO HELP KEEP HARMONIOUS RELATIONS BETWEEN FEDERAL TROOPS, CAPTURED BIAFRANS AND LOCAL PEOPLE. THE MISSIONARIES ARE ALSO HELPING TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD, CLOTHING AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES REPORTEDLY SUPPLIED BY THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT FOR PRISONERS OF WAR AND CIVILIANS ALIKE.