21 June 1968 was the date people of Nyemoni community in Abonnema, Akuku-toru Local Government Area of for Rivers state, will not forget in a hurry.
This is because, 50 years ago, Biafra soldiers forcefully entered the community and dragged people to go live in Igboland, south-east Nigeria.
The story had it that they matched everyone to Niger river dock and forced them into a boat.
The Biafra soldiers also arrested King Davies Bobmanuel who was then the Abonnema traditional ruler.
The king begged the soldiers that instead removing locals from their land, they should carry only him but the soldiers disagreed
However, around 12 o clock in the afternoon, u-turn happened as Nigeria soldiers entered Abonnema with mission to fight the Biafrans and help Abonnema people.
It was from Buguma community the Nigerian fighters gained entrance into Abonnema and engaged the Biafra soldiers in a lengthy gunfire and subsequently dislodged them, and set the town free.
From that time, 21 June became a special day for Abonnema locals to mark their ‘freedom’ from the hands of Biafran soldiers during the Nigerian-Biafra civil war.
It is normal for the people of the town to put on costumes which include Nigerian Army uniforms to re-enact the things that happened in the town.
The ceremony is named ‘Go to Niger’ and it is celebrated every year.
The Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Gbobo Bobmanuel said that the 2018 edition will mark 50 years that the event took place and that they are using the celebration to educate young people that were not yet born then what happened so they will know what God did for them.
“We are prayerful and we are telling the young people what actually happened so they can be peaceful and prayerful”.
“Abonnema is not part of Biafra. We believe in One Nigeria so we don’t have any reason to want Nigeria to separate.”
”We the traditional rulers, what we want is for our community to be peaceful and to progress.”
