Biafra is a state that existed in West Africa between 1967 and 1970. The country was declared independent from Nigeria by late lieutenant colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu which sparked off the first civil war in the country. The war claimed over two million lives of Biafrans who are mostly people of the Eastern region Nigeria.
Having lost the war, Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria. The people of the Eastern region were forced back to the country they passionately rejected. Since then, the Biafrans have not felt at home in Nigeria. They have ever been regarded as a conquered territory by the rest of Nigeria, hence they are not given equal opportunity like other citizens of Nigeria. There have been constant inter-ethnic clashes, killings, and maimings of the people of Biafra. As a country, Nigeria has never known peace since independence in 1960.
In 1999, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike resuscitated the struggle for the independence of Biafra, but this time, peacefully. He was the founder of The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). Despite harassment and killings of his members, he kept going. He made a giant stride by reintroducing the Biafran Currency, Passports, and creation of awareness by hoisting the flag of Biafra in some parts of Nigeria. I would describe Ralph Uwazuruike as the father of modern struggle for the independence of Biafra, though he later started playing Nigeria's politics, hence he compromised the struggle and became less passionate.
The struggle for Biafra assumed a different dimension when the former director of Radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu took over the agitation through the formation of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) in 2012. The agitation has become a thorn in the flesh of the federal government of Nigeria since the advent of IPOB. For this reason, Nnamdi Kanu was arrested on treason charges in Lagos, Nigeria on the 14th of October 2015 and was detained for close to two years, despite various court orders that ruled for his release. The arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu worsened the activities of IPOB. With her family units scattered across the world, IPOB has given Biafra more international exposure than even colonel Ojukwu who first made an unsuccessful proclamation of Biafra's independence in 1967. Nnamdi Kanu has been embarking on diplomatic missions, meeting world leaders, and organizations that matter in international politics, since he escaped assassination attempt by the Nigerian army right after he left prison. With the progress made so far by Nnamdi Kanu, there is hope in sight for the people of Biafra.
However, the federal government of Nigeria has contributed immensely towards the progress IPOB has made. The use of military approach to quell a peaceful protest has always been counterproductive. A peaceful secessionist struggle needs tact and diplomacy to be dealt with successfully. Dialogue was never, at any time, given a chance by the federal government of Nigeria. The more the people were attacked, the more they fell in love with the name, 'Biafra'. Wisdom was the only tool Nigerian government ought to have deployed at the early stage of the struggle.
Finally, Nnamdi Kanu's approach to restoration of Biafra is unprecedented. His sacrifices, efforts, and determination have unarguably surpassed those of his predecessors. The progress so far is very promising. The scheduled one million-man march, come June, 2020, in Washington DC, may be the last straw that breaks the camel's back. Let's keep our fingers crossed and watch the possible outcome of the march.
You must be logged in to post a comment.