 In the lead-up to the Nigerian Civil War, residents of the ethnically diverse Mid-Western Region attempted to take a neutral position.Shortly before Biafra announced its secession from Nigeria, leaders in the Mid-Western Region sponsored a peace conference near Benin City, and officials refused to permit Nigerian federal troops to invade Biafra through the region.In August 1967, Biafran forces occupied the Mid-Western Region and took control of the regional government, with American-educated doctor Albert Okonkwo as the new head of government under the title Governor.