THE RAPE OF ABAKALIKI RICE (1966)

THE RAPE OF ABAKALIKI RICE (1966)

Before the Biafra War fully began, one major incident shook Igboland — the Abakaliki Rice Massacre of 1966, often remembered as the “Rape of Abakaliki Rice.”

Abakaliki was known as the rice capital of Eastern Nigeria, feeding the entire region. But during the chaos of the 1966 anti-Igbo pogroms in the North, thousands of fleeing Igbo refugees ran to the East for safety. Buses and lorries carrying refugees arrived loaded with survivors who had lost everything — families, property, and livelihood.

To help feed the refugees, Biafran authorities depended heavily on the Abakaliki rice farms. The women and farmers of the area worked day and night to produce food for the masses. But as tension rose, Nigerian forces repeatedly targeted food supplies, destroying rice fields and storage barns.

Many locals were killed while trying to protect the rice farms, and the destruction of Abakaliki rice fields became one of the major factors that worsened hunger in Biafra during the war.

Today, the story reminds us of sacrifice, resilience, and how food became a weapon during the conflict.