MAJOR WARS AND CONFLICTS INVOLVING THE NIGERIAN ARMED FORCES

The Nigerian Armed Forces have fought in some of Africa’s deadliest wars and international peacekeeping missions. From the Congo Crisis of the 1960s to the fight against Boko Haram today, these battles have shaped Nigeria’s history and its role on the continent.

1. World War II (1939–1945)
   Before independence, tens of thousands of Nigerian soldiers fought as part of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) under British command. They saw combat in East Africa (Ethiopia and Somaliland) against Italian forces, helping to liberate Ethiopia and restore Emperor Haile Selassie to the throne, and later in the Burma Campaign (India/Myanmar) against the Japanese.

The Burma front proved to be their most grueling experience, with Nigerian battalions enduring harsh jungle terrain and fierce resistance as part of the British 14th Army. The war introduced Nigerian troops to global battlefields and remains a foundational moment in their military history.

2. Congo Crisis (1960–1965)
   Barely a year after independence, Nigeria committed troops to the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC). From 1960 to 1964, Nigerian peacekeepers served during the violent turmoil that followed Congo’s independence from Belgium.

The crisis, sparked by mutiny in the army and secessionist struggles, resulted in the assassination of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and years of bloodshed that killed over 100,000 people. Nigerian troops gained their first major experience in international peacekeeping during this mission.

3. Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970)
   The Nigerian Civil War, also called the Biafran War, was the bloodiest conflict in Nigeria’s history. Lasting 30 months, it pitted the Federal Government against the secessionist Republic of Biafra.

The war caused the death of an estimated 100,000 soldiers and over one million civilians, mostly from starvation. It was a defining moment for the Nigerian Armed Forces, testing their capacity for large-scale warfare and reshaping the nation’s political and ethnic relations.

4. Nigerian–Cameroon Border Conflict (Bakassi Peninsula, 1981–2008)
   This conflict, often called the Bakassi Dispute, was a territorial struggle over the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula. Tensions escalated in May 1981 with a deadly border clash that killed five Nigerian soldiers. Retaliations followed, and on 18 February 1994, Nigerian forces occupied the entire peninsula.

However, following an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in 2002, Nigeria gradually withdrew and formally transferred Bakassi to Cameroon in 2008 under UN supervision.

5. Chadian–Nigerian War (1983)
   This short but tense conflict was fought over disputed islands in Lake Chad. In 1983, Chadian forces seized 19 Nigerian islands. Nigeria responded with a counteroffensive led by then Major General Muhammadu Buhari, retaking the islands and advancing 50 kilometers into Chadian territory before diplomacy halted further escalation.
6. First Liberian Civil War (1989–1997)
   Liberia descended into chaos in December 1989 when Charles Taylor’s NPFL invaded to topple President Samuel Doe. Doe was captured and executed in 1990 by Prince Johnson’s INPFL faction, deepening the conflict.

ECOWAS intervened through ECOMOG, with Nigeria providing the bulk of the force—over 10,000 troops at its height. Nigerian forces fought bloody battles in Monrovia and played a central role in humanitarian assistance, peace enforcement, and eventual peace agreements.

7. Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002)
   The Revolutionary United Front (RUF), backed by Charles Taylor’s forces in Liberia, launched a brutal insurgency against the Sierra Leonean government in 1991. Nigerian troops, under the ECOMOG banner, fought alongside Sierra Leonean government forces and later UN peacekeepers.

Fierce battles took place in and around Freetown, and Nigeria suffered heavy casualties. The war officially ended on 18 January 2002, with President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah declaring peace after British and ECOMOG-led operations broke the RUF.

8. Rwanda Mission & Genocide (1993–1996) Nigerian troops served under UNAMIR during the Rwandan genocide. Though limited by the weak UN mandate, Nigerian peacekeepers helped protect civilians and stabilize the country in the aftermath. This mission was one of the most challenging peacekeeping experiences Nigeria faced in the 1990s.
9. Haiti Interventions (1993–1996, 2004–2017) Nigeria deployed troops to Haiti in the 1990s and again after the 2010 earthquake, under UN missions (UNMIH & MINUSTAH). Though less known, these operations demonstrated Nigeria’s global reach outside Africa.
10. Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003)
    Nigeria played a major role in the Second Liberian Civil War, deploying troops under ECOMOG and later UNMIL (United Nations Mission in Liberia). Nigerian forces helped enforce peace, disarm combatants, and ensured the eventual exile of Charles Taylor in 2003.
11. Côte d’Ivoire Civil Wars (2002–2007, 2010–2011)
    Nigeria contributed troops under UNOCI and ECOWAS to help stabilize Côte d’Ivoire during its civil wars. Nigerian forces were part of efforts to enforce ceasefires and protect civilians until peace was restored.
12. Northern Mali Conflict (2012–Present)
    The crisis in Mali began with a Tuareg separatist rebellion in 2012 that was soon hijacked by jihadist groups including AQIM and Ansar Dine. Nigeria contributed troops to the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) in 2013, supporting French and Malian forces against Islamist insurgents.
13. Niger Delta Conflict (1990s–Present)
    Rooted in decades of environmental degradation, economic exploitation, and political marginalization, the Niger Delta conflict saw local militias sabotage oil installations, kidnap expatriates, and engage in armed confrontations with security forces. Groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) waged an insurgency in the 2000s.

In 2009, the Nigerian government launched an amnesty program for militants, which reduced violence but did not resolve deeper grievances over oil wealth distribution and environmental destruction.

14. War Against Boko Haram (2009–Present)
    Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009 under Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed in police custody that year. The group re-emerged under Abubakar Shekau in 2010, unleashing bombings, assassinations, prison breaks, and territorial seizures across Northeast Nigeria, Northern Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.

By 2014, Boko Haram had declared a “caliphate.” A Nigerian-led regional offensive in 2015 recaptured much of this territory, but the group splintered, with ISWAP emerging as a deadly faction. Though Boko Haram has been weakened and largely confined to the Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad Basin, insurgency and terrorism remain ongoing challenges.

15. Southeast Insurgency (2010s–Present)
    This ongoing conflict involves the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the paramilitary wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The movement seeks to revive the idea of a sovereign Biafra. Clashes, targeted killings, and military raids have occurred in the Southeast, while IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest has fueled tensions.
    “Major Wars and Conflicts Involving the Nigerian Armed Forces.” –