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The Mid-Western Region was a division of Nigeria from 1963 to 1991, from 1976 being known as the Bendel state.[1][2]
It was formed in June 1963 from Benin and Delta provinces of the Western Region, and its capital was Benin City. It was renamed a province in 1966, and in 1967 when the other provinces were divided into several states, it remained territorially intact, becoming a state.
During the Nigerian Civil War, the Biafran forces invaded the new Mid-Western state, en route to Lagos, in an attempt to force a quick end to the war. While under Biafran occupation, the state was declared the "Republic of Benin". As Nigerian forces retook the region, the republic collapsed only a day after the declaration when Nigerian troops captured Benin City.
In 1976, the state was renamed Bendel. It was divided into Delta State and Edo State in 1991.[3]
- ^ "Bendel | state, Nigeria | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ "About Edo". Edo State Government. 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ logbaby.com https://logbaby.com/encyclopedia/history-of-delta-state_10219.html. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
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