The civil war declared by the Eastern region of Nigeria was fought for a period of ......... months.

Analyze the question: It asks how long the Nigerian Civil War (the Biafran War) lasted, in months.

Key facts:

• Eastern Region, led by Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared the Republic of Biafra on 30 May 1967.
• Federal troops began military action on 6 July 1967.
• The war ended with Biafra's surrender on 12 January 1970 (Lt. Col. Philip Effiong announced the surrender, and Ojukwu had gone into exile on 9-10 January).

Calculation:

• From 6 July 1967 to 6 July 1969 is 24 months.
• From 6 July 1969 to 12 January 1970 is about 6 months.
• Total: about 30 months, so roughly two and a half years.

(Counting from 30 May 1967 would give about 31 to 32 months, and counting from 6 July 1967 to 12 January 1970 gives about 30 months. The standard textbook figure is thirty months.)

Why the other options are wrong:

• Fifteen, twenty and twenty-five months are too short for a war that spanned three calendar years (1967 to 1970).
• Twenty-nine months is close, but the standard figure used in Nigerian textbooks and exams is thirty.

Answer: The war lasted thirty months, which is option E.

Exam tip: Remember "July 1967 to January 1970 = 30 months (2½ years)". The Civil War is often described as lasting about 30 months, so when you see a number near that range, choose 30.