Misplaced Pages

#840159

98-611: The Biafra Zionist Front (BZF), formerly known as the Biafra Zionist Movement and also known as the Biafra Zionists Federation , is a group agitating for the restoration of Biafra and its independence from Nigeria. It is led by Benjamin Onwuka . The movement's purpose is the actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra along precolonial lines. The group claims to be supported by Israel and

196-407: A renewed clampdown on the campaign. A report by Amnesty International between August 2015 and August 2016, at least 150 pro-Biafran activists overall were killed by Nigerian security forces, with 60 people shot in a period of two days in connection with events marking Biafran Remembrance Day. The Nigerian military killed at least 17 unarmed Biafrans in the city of Onitsha prior to

294-755: A 25-stage plan to achieve its goal peacefully. It has two arms of government, the Biafra Government in Exile and the Biafra Shadow Government. MASSOB accuses Nigeria of marginalising Biafran people. Since August 1999, protests have erupted in cities across Nigeria's south-east. Though peaceful, the protesters have been routinely attacked by the Nigerian police and army, with large numbers of people reportedly killed. Many others have been injured and/or arrested. On 29 May 2000,

392-611: A Biafra Plate Number in 2016 in response to persistent demand by some Biafran sympathizers in the diaspora and at home. On 16 June 2012, a Supreme Council of Elders of the Indigenous People of Biafra, another pro-Biafra organisation, was formed. The body is made up of some prominent persons in the Biafra region. They sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the right to self-determination . Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu,

490-584: A Chief of Staff and operational commander who are both natives of the Bakassi . BNL have recorded a series of security clamp downs, especially in Bakassi where soldiers of 'Operations Delta Safe' apprehended the National Leader, Princewill, in the Ikang-Cameroon border area on 9 November 2016. During an attempt to mobilise a protest in support of Kanu's release, he was again re-arrested by

588-402: A Nigerian panel resolved to give every Igbo person an account with only 20 pounds. Federal projects in Biafra were also greatly reduced compared to other parts of Nigeria. In an Intersociety study it was found that Nigerian security forces also extorted approximately $ 100 million per year from illegal roadblocks and other methods from Igboland – a cultural sub-region of Biafra in what

686-816: A converted Douglas DC-3 and one British de Havilland Dove . In 1968 the Swedish pilot Carl Gustaf von Rosen suggested the MiniCOIN project to General Ojukwu. By early 1969, Biafra had assembled five MFI-9Bs in neighbouring Gabon , calling them the "Biafra Babies". They were painted in green camouflage and armed with two Matra Type 122 rocket pods, each being able to carry six 68 mm SNEB anti-armour rockets under each wing and had Swedish WW2 reflex sights from old FFVS J 22s . The six aeroplanes were flown by three Swedish pilots and three Biafran pilots. In September 1969, Biafra acquired four ex-French North American T-6 Texans (T-6G) , which were flown to Biafra

784-646: A date set by the government. The editor of pro-Biafran media outlet 'Voice of Biafra' Nnabuike Nnadede stated that the Igbo people suffer from a lack of resources and investment from the Nigerian government. The main reason for their protests are because they want the opportunity to vote for independence. On 18 September 2017, the Federal High Court in Abuja declared IPOB a terrorist organization. The IPOB have fought against this proscription and sought to reverse

882-610: A functioning governmental system during the period of secession. Biafra was formally recognised by Gabon , Haiti , Ivory Coast , Tanzania , and Zambia . Other nations, that did not officially recognise Biafra, but granted de facto recognition in the form of diplomatic support or military aid, included France , Spain , Portugal , Norway , Israel , Rhodesia , South Africa , and Vatican City . Biafra received aid from non-state actors , including Joint Church Aid, foreign mercenaries , Holy Ghost Fathers of Ireland, Caritas Internationalis , and Catholic Relief Services of

980-594: A less centralised union of regions. The Northerners were at odds with this agreement that was known as the Aburi Accords ; Obafemi Awolowo , the leader of the Western Region warned that if the Eastern Region seceded, the Western Region would also, which persuaded the northerners. Now, therefore, I, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, by virtue of

1078-568: A march on 30 May 2016 commemorating the 49th anniversary of Biafra's 1967 declaration of independence. Another group is the Biafra Nations League, formerly known as Biafra Nations Youth League, which has its operational base in Bakassi Peninsula . The group is led by Princewill Chimezie Richard, alias Prince Obuka, and Ebuta Akor Takon (not to be mistaken by its former Deputy, Ebuta Ogar Takon). The group also has

SECTION 10

#1732773217841

1176-545: A proper trial. The leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has failed to appear in court since April 25, 2017, to answer to the charges against him by the federal government. He had previously been detained without trial for over a year and was arraigned on November 8, 2016, for charges of criminal conspiracy, membership of an illegal organization and intimidation. He was granted bail after several public agitations including World Igbo Summit Group in April 2017 because of health concerns that

1274-725: A protest in Onitsha, Anambra state. Since that date, there have been thousands of protesters who have been reportedly killed by policemen and militia paid by the government in Aba, Onitsha, Enugu and Umuhahia. The rising protests are attributed to the claimed political disenfranchisement among the Igbo people and the trauma that continues as an effect of the Nigerian civil war. There are weekly lockdowns in many towns in South East, Nigeria and many pro-Biafra citizens and others have been unable to leave their homes. The lockdown became prominent since

1372-559: A virtual press conference. There have been many other pro-Biafran groups that have come into existence. The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra ( MASSOB ) began gaining attention in the early 2000s, along with the Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM) which rose to the spotlight in 2012. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) emerged in 2012 as well after these other groups. IPOB emerged to continue

1470-615: Is because President Muhammdu Buhari sent the military to execute him in his home. The military denies the occurrence of this raid, despite an obvious video footage of the gruesome attack. There has been speculation that Kanu had fled to Israel for safety, after a Facebook livestream video depicted an individual resembling Kanu praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The Israeli foreign ministry stated that Israel cannot confirm this allegation as they do not have any evidence of Kanu in

1568-519: Is estimated that a total of £115–140 million Biafran pounds were in circulation by the end of the conflict, with a population of about 14 million, approximately £10 per person. At the beginning of the war Biafra had 3,000 soldiers, but at the end of the war, the soldiers totalled 30,000. There was no official support for the Biafran Army by any other nation throughout the war, although arms were clandestinely acquired. Because of

1666-541: Is now southern Nigeria, causing the Igbo citizenry to trust the Nigerian security forces even less than before. The Republic of Biafra comprised over 29,848 square miles (77,310 km ) of land, with terrestrial borders shared with Nigeria to the north and west, and with Cameroon to the east. Its coast is on the Gulf of Guinea of the South Atlantic Ocean in the south. The country's northeast bordered

1764-851: The Benue Hills and mountains that lead to Cameroon. Three major rivers flow from Biafra into the Gulf of Guinea: the Imo River , the Cross River and the Niger River . The territory of the Republic of Biafra is covered nowadays by the reorganised Nigerian states of Akwa Ibom , Rivers , Cross River , Bayelsa , Ebonyi , Enugu , Anambra , Imo , Abia , Delta and southern Kogi and Benue states. The languages of Biafra were Igbo , Anaang, Efik, Ibibio, Ogoni, and Ijaw However, English

1862-703: The Center for World Indigenous Studies reported that government-sanctioned killings were taking place in the southeastern city of Onitsha , because of a shoot-to-kill policy directed toward Biafrans, particularly members of the MASSOB. The Nigerian federal government accuses MASSOB of violence; MASSOB's leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, was arrested in 2005 and was detained on treason charges. He has since been released and has been rearrested and released more than five times. In 2009, MASSOB leader Chief Uwazuruike launched an unrecognised "Biafran International Passport" and also launched

1960-661: The Indigenous People of Biafra , the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra , and the Biafra Zionist Front . Early modern maps of Africa from the 15th to the 19th centuries, drawn from accounts written by explorers and travellers, show references to Biafar, Biafara, Biafra, and Biafares. According to the maps, the European travellers used the word Biafara to describe

2058-700: The Niger Delta who have been continually attacking pipelines. Therefore, IPOB figures contend that it is within the United States' economic interest to support the Biafran secessionist movement due to agitations in the region. However, as of yet Trump has made no public statement in support of Biafran self-determination. The pro-Biafran protesters are calling for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu and other Biafran activists that have been jailed. Most importantly they want an independence referendum to have

SECTION 20

#1732773217841

2156-476: The Niger River delta and along the Niger River . The international humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières originated in response to the suffering in Biafra. During the crisis, French medical volunteers, in addition to Biafran health workers and hospitals, were subjected to attacks by the Nigerian army and witnessed civilians being murdered and starved by the blockading forces. French doctor Bernard Kouchner also witnessed these events, particularly

2254-516: The 18th century in the area around Senegal and Gambia. In his personal writings from his travels, a Rev. Charles W. Thomas defined the locations of islands in the Bight of Biafra as "between the parallels of longitude 5° and 9° East and latitude 4° North and 2° South ". In 1960, Nigeria became independent of the United Kingdom . As with many other new African states,

2352-603: The 2016 election of President Donald Trump , and Britain's vote to exit the European Union as proof of international support for "self-determination." According to many sources, Donald Trump's victory provides hope for the IPOB group in their ability to secede from Nigeria. Trump's political interests are in line with supporting Biafra, because of oil pursuits. U.S. oil company outputs in Nigeria have been cut by militants in

2450-600: The Bank of Biafra started printing out its own notes, the Biafran pound . The new currency went public on 28 January 1968, and the Nigerian pound was not accepted as an exchange unit. The first issue of the bank notes included only 5 shillings notes and 1 pound notes. The Bank of Nigeria exchanged only 30 pounds for an individual and 300 pounds for enterprises in the second half of 1968. In 1969, new notes were introduced: £ 10, £5, £1, 10 /- and 5/-. It

2548-583: The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigerian and Nigerian Communications Commission, has sought to clamp down on Radio Biafra with limited success. On 17 November 2015, the Abia state police command seized an Indigenous People of Biafra radio transmitter in Umuahia . On 23 December 2015, Kanu was detained and charged with charges that amounted to treason against the Nigerian state. He

2646-668: The ESN to cease fire and withdraw from Orlu, ending the crisis. Shortly after the Orlu Crisis, IPOB gave all the governors of southeast Nigeria 14 days to ban open grazing, threatening to deploy the ESN to enforce a ban if the authorities did not do so. On April 9, 2021, IPOB formally allied itself with the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) and the Ambazonia Defence Forces . The alliance

2744-604: The Gulf of Guinea, has links with Dokubo Asari, a former militant leader. About 100 members of the group were reportedly arrested in Bayelsa during a meeting with Dokubo on 18 August 2019. The Incorporated Trustees of Bilie Human Rights Initiative, representing the Indigenous People of Biafra, have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government of Nigeria and Attorney General of the Federation, seeking

2842-402: The Indigenous People of Biafra is Nnamdi Kanu who is a dual British and Nigerian citizen. He created IPOB after he initially gained fame from his broadcasts on Radio Biafra , which was established in 2009. This was a radio station from London that broadcast messages that called for "freedom of Biafrans" and criticised corruption in the government of Nigeria. Radio Biafra catalyzed Kanu's rise to

2940-466: The Lagos Guardian newspaper reported that the former president Olusegun Obasanjo commuted to retirement the dismissal of all military persons, soldiers and officers, who fought for the breakaway Republic of Biafra during Nigeria's 1967–1970 civil war. In a national broadcast, he said the decision was based on the belief that "justice must at all times be tempered with mercy". In July 2006,

3038-484: The Movement due to being imprisoned. By late 2022, other IPOB leaders like Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful were openly denouncing Ekpa. Indigenous People of Biafra has "brought both local and international attention to the plight of Ndigbo in Nigeria". Indigenous People of Biafra and Ambazonia Governing Council had established an alliance in early April 2021 when Nnamdi Kanu and Ayaba Cho Lucas met in

Biafra Zionist Front - Misplaced Pages Continue

3136-636: The Nigeria Police Force in the same area on 16 January 2018 along with 20 of their supporters. Many media outlets reported that BnL is linked to the Southern Cameroons separatists ; although the group confirms this, they denied involvement in violent activities in the Cameroon. The Deputy Leader, Ebuta Akor Takon is an Ejagham native, a tribe in Nigeria and also in significant number in Cameroon. BnL, which operates more in

3234-411: The Nigerian military approached the capital of Biafra. Philip Effiong became the second president of Biafra , and he oversaw the surrender of Biafran forces to Nigeria. Igbo nationalism became a strong political and social force after the civil war. It has grown more militant since the 1990s, calling for the revival of Biafra as an entity. Various Biafran secessionist groups have emerged, such as

3332-537: The South-Eastern, South-Central and parts of North-Central regions of the country. The organization rose to prominence in the mid-2010s and is now the largest Biafran independence organization by membership. In recent years, it has gained significant media attention for becoming a frequent target of political crackdowns by the Nigerian government . It also has numerous sites and communication channels serving as

3430-429: The U.K. government clarified that IPOB had not been designated as a terrorist organisation. IPOB has criticized the Nigerian federal government for poor investment, political alienation, inequitable resource distribution, ethnic marginalization, and heavy military presence, extrajudicial killings in the South-Eastern, South-Central and parts of North-Central regions of the country. The organization rose to prominence in

3528-466: The United States and explicitly relates its cause to the Zionist movement. The group was formerly part of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra but was split off in 2010 by British-Nigerian lawyer Benjamin Onwuka. The group "re-declared the independence of Biafra" on 5 November 2012, for which Onwuka and 100 others were arrested and charged with treason but granted bail;

3626-509: The United States. Doctors Without Borders also originated in response to the suffering. Although the government of the United States under the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson maintained an official neutral stance during the war, there was strong public support for Biafra in the United States. The American Committee to Keep Biafra Alive was founded by American activists to spread pro-Biafran propaganda. U.S. president Richard Nixon

3724-627: The Western political crisis, the Western Region was divided as Ladoke Akintola clashed with Obafemi Awolowo . Widespread reports of fraud tarnished the election's legitimacy. Westerners especially resented the political domination of the Northern People's Congress, many of whose candidates ran unopposed in the election. Violence spread throughout the country, and some began to flee the North and West, some to Dahomey . The apparent domination of

3822-575: The actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra by legal means. The Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed 25 February 2019 for hearing the suit. On 31 July 2020, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra/Biafra Independence Movement (BIM-MASSOB) joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a separatist group in Nigeria that aims to restore

3920-520: The administration of foreign exchange and the management of the public debt of the Republic. The bank was administered by a governor and four directors; the first governor, who signed on bank notes, was Sylvester Ugoh . A second decree, "Decree No. 4 of 1967", modified the Banking Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the Republic of Biafra. The bank was first located in Enugu, but due to

4018-464: The agreement and unilaterally declared the creation of several new states including some that gerrymandered the Igbos in Biafra. On 26 May, Ojukwu decreed to secede from Nigeria after consultations with community leaders from across the Eastern Region. Four days later, Ojukwu unilaterally declared the independence of the Republic of Biafra, citing the Igbos killed in the post-coup violence as reasons for

Biafra Zionist Front - Misplaced Pages Continue

4116-417: The authority, and pursuant to the principles, recited above, do hereby solemnly proclaim that the territory and region known as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental shelf and territorial waters shall henceforth be an independent sovereign state of the name and title of "The Republic of Biafra". Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu After returning to Nigeria, the federal government reneged on

4214-446: The borders of the country did not reflect earlier ethnic, cultural, religious, or political boundaries. Thus, the northern region of the country has a Muslim majority, being primarily made up of territory of the indigenous Sokoto Caliphate . The southern population is predominantly Christian , being primarily made up of territory of the indigenous Yoruba and Igbo states in the west and east respectively. Following independence, Nigeria

4312-529: The charges against Onwuka were later dismissed for lack of evidence. The group was responsible for the 2014 Enugu Government House attack on March 7, 2014, and was behind an attack on a State Broadcasting Service office a few months later. Onwuka was arrested in 2014 but was released three years later. He immediately returned to leading the BZF. In June 2017 the group proclaimed the independence of Biafra with Onwuka as president. On 20 March 2018, Benjamin Onwuka

4410-422: The country. Now, the court has revoked the bail of Kanu and the trial judge Binta Nyako has ordered the immediate arrest of Kanu and stated that his treasonable felony will proceed despite his absence. On June 29, 2021, the Nigerian government announced that Nnamdi Kanu had been rearrested. He was subsequently charged to court again and remanded in the custody of the department of state services. In August 2020,

4508-658: The court's decision in 2018. In 2023, a High Court sitting in Enugu State nullified IPOB's proscription and awarded 8 billion Naira damages, thereby declaring the proscription unconstitutional. According to sources, the Nigerian State has utilized violent and excessive police force in order to silence pro-Biafran movements. This police violence has been ongoing from 2014, first targeting MASSOB and IPOB after its formation. In 2008, MASSOB claimed that 2,020 of their members had been massacred and extrajudicially killed by

4606-437: The declaration of independence. It is believed this was one of the major factors that sparked the war. The large amount of oil in the region also created conflict, as oil was already becoming a major component of the Nigerian economy. Biafra was ill-equipped for war, with fewer army personnel and less equipment than the Nigerian military, but had advantages over the Nigerian state as they were fighting in their homeland and had

4704-555: The declaration was nullified by a High Court sitting in Enugu in 2023. As of May 2022, the United Kingdom started denying asylum to members of IPOB who allegedly engaged in human rights abuses, though the UK government clarified that IPOB had not been designated as a terrorist organisation. IPOB has criticized the Nigerian federal government for poor investment, political alienation, inequitable resource distribution, ethnic marginalization, and heavy military presence, extrajudicial killings in

4802-510: The defunct Republic of Biafra , a country which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 prior to the Nigerian Civil War and was subsequently dissolved following its defeat in 1970. Since 2021, IPOB and other Biafran separatist groups have been fighting a low-level guerilla conflict in southeastern Nigeria against the Nigerian government . The group was founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu who has been the leader and Uche Mefor , who served as

4900-490: The department of state services (DSS) were accused by IPOB of killing 21 of his members and arresting 47 members across different locations. The DSS claims two of its officers were killed by IPOB members. Both sides accused each other of firing the first shot and that the attack was unprovoked. Casualties cannot be independently verified. Following the incident, IPOB vowed to retaliate and called on its members to start practicing self-defense. On December 12, 2020, Kanu announced

4998-537: The deputy leader. Kanu is known as a British political activist known for his advocacy of the contemporary Biafran independence movement. It was declared a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government in 2017 under the Nigerian Terrorism Act but the declaration was nullified by a High Court sitting in Enugu in 2023. As of May 2022, the United Kingdom started denying asylum to members of IPOB who allegedly engaged in human rights abuses, though

SECTION 50

#1732773217841

5096-433: The eldest son of ex-President / General Ojukwu and a Lagos state-based lawyer was the lead counsel that championed the case. MASSOB leader Chief Ralph Uwazuruike established Radio Biafra in the United Kingdom in 2009, with Nnamdi Kanu as his radio director; later Kanu was said to have been dismissed from MASSOB because of accusations of supporting violence. The Nigerian Government, through its broadcasting regulators,

5194-506: The ensuing events. Security forces re-invaded the area three days later, clashing with the ESN and killing at least five people before being repulsed by the ESN. Four Nigerian soldiers were killed in the fighting. The Nigerian Army withdrew, and in the following days, Nigerian Air Force planes and helicopters deployed to search for ESN operatives in and around Orlu. Before the Nigerian Army could launch another attack, Kanu ordered

5292-602: The event: At Jos in 1945, a sudden and savage attack by Northerners took the Easterners completely by surprise, and before the situation could be brought under control, the bodies of Eastern women, men, and children littered the streets and their property worth thousands of pounds reduced to shambles Three hundred Igbo people were murdered in the Jos riots. In 1953 a similar riot occurred in Kano . A decade later in 1964 and during

5390-547: The extradition of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya and a Monday sit-at-home order was imposed by IPOB on the entire South East geopolitical zone as a protest. Also, IPOB declared a sit-at-home order for any day Mr. Kanu appears in court. However, on July 21, 2023, Nnamdi Kalu through his lawyer and IPOB's media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, cancelled the Monday IPOB sit-at-home order hitherto imposed on South East States. IPOB supporters have cited historical events such as

5488-490: The favoured Western Region politician Obafemi Awolowo were not killed. The commander of the army, General Aguiyi Ironsi seized power to maintain order. In July 1966, northern officers and army units staged a countercoup, killing General Aguiyi Ironsi and several southern officers. The predominantly Muslim officers named a General from a small ethnic group (the Angas) in central Nigeria, General Yakubu "Jack" Gowon , as

5586-605: The following month, with another aircraft lost on the ferry flight. These aircraft flew missions until January 1970 and were flown by Portuguese ex-military pilots. Biafra also had a small improvised navy, but it never gained the success that their air force did. It was headquartered in Kidney Island, Port Harcourt , and commanded by Winifred Anuku. The Biafran Navy was made up of captured craft, converted tugs, and armour-reinforced civilian vessels armed with machine guns or captured 6-pounder guns . It mainly operated in

5684-479: The formation of another faction named BZM. BZM leader Benjamin Igwe Onwuka and many members of the group were arrested for treason by the Nigerian government at a rally that took place on 5 November 2012 in the region of Enugu. BZM's activities were scaled down because of arrests and trials of many lead members of the organization. Both of these pro-Biafran groups set up the rise of IPOB which continues championing

5782-481: The formation of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a regional security force, which he said it purpose is to flush out bandits and illegal forest occupants that always clash with farmers in Biafra land. The Nigerian Army deployed to locate ESN camps two weeks later. On January 22, Nigerian soldiers invaded Orlu to search for ESN operatives. Eight buildings were burnt and one person was killed in

5880-484: The former Eastern Region of Nigeria, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group. Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region governor Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu under his presidency, following a series of ethnic tensions and military coups after Nigerian independence in 1960 that culminated in the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom . The Nigerian military proceeded in an attempt to reclaim

5978-550: The head of the Federal Military Government (FMG). The two coups deepened Nigeria's ethnic tensions. In September 1966, approximately 30,000 Igbo civilians were killed in the north , and some Northerners were killed in backlashes in eastern cities. In January 1967, the military leaders Yakubu "Jack" Gowon , Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and senior police officials of each region met in Aburi , Ghana and agreed on

SECTION 60

#1732773217841

6076-466: The huge number of starving children, and, when he returned to France , he publicly criticised the Nigerian government and the Red Cross for their seemingly complicit behaviour. With the help of other French doctors, Kouchner put Biafra in the media spotlight and called for an international response to the situation. These doctors, led by Kouchner, concluded that a new aid organisation was needed that would ignore political/religious boundaries and prioritise

6174-429: The idea of an independent state of Biafra . The result of tensions between Biafra and the federal government resulted in the Nigerian civil war that went on for three years. There were an estimated one to 3.5 million deaths that were heavily civilian casualties caused by starvation and death on the side of Biafra. In 1970, the Biafran forces surrendered through the armistice brokered by the defunct OAU. The leader of

6272-477: The insurrectionist guerrilla forces of the Viet Cong in the American – Vietnamese War , targeting Nigerian Federal Army supply lines and forcing them to shift forces to internal security efforts. The Biafrans managed to set up a small yet effective air force. The BAF commander was Polish World War II ace Jan Zumbach . Early inventory included four World War II American bombers: two B-25 Mitchells , two B-26 Invaders (Douglas A-26) (one piloted by Zumbach),

6370-450: The judge said needed better medical attention that couldn't be provided by the prison. However, he was barred from granting interviews, meeting in groups larger than ten individuals, organizing and attending rallies or social functions. Kanu disappeared after September 2017 after a premeditated attack on his home village, Umuahia by the combined forces of the Airforce and Army. Through a Radio Biafra broadcast he explains that his disappearance

6468-413: The lack of official support, the Biafrans manufactured many of their weapons locally. Europeans served in the Biafran cause; German-born Rolf Steiner was a lieutenant colonel assigned to the 4th Commando Brigade and Welshman Taffy Williams served as a Major until the very end of the conflict. A special guerrilla unit, the Biafran Organization of Freedom Fighters, was established, designed to emulate

6566-413: The largest impacts stem from adolescent exposure." The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) emerged in 1999 as a nonviolent Biafran nationalist group, associated with Igbo nationalism . The group enacted a "re-launch" of Biafra in Aba , the commercial centre of Abia State and a major commercial centre on Igbo land. MASSOB says it is a peaceful group and advertises

6664-425: The mid-2010s and is now the largest Biafran independence organization by membership. In recent years, it has gained significant media attention for becoming a frequent target of political crackdowns by the Nigerian government . It also has numerous sites and communication channels serving as the only trusted social apparatus educating and inculcating first hand information and news to its members. An organization for

6762-425: The most notable attacks were the May 2022 Anambra State killings . IPOB has sought support from the right-wing Trumpist movement in the United States , and IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu attended a Donald Trump rally in Iowa as a special guest, at the invitation of the Republican Party of Iowa . Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern , which Nigerian journalist Garba Shehu alleges

6860-409: The movement that had been championed by MASSOB. MASSOB was formed in 1999 by its national leader Ralph Uwazuruike . However, the organization was severely weakened due to alleged state repression and disagreement within the group about leadership. MASSOB accused Uwazuruike of associating himself with "mainstream Nigerian politics" instead of furthering the cause of Biafra. These conflicts contributed to

6958-405: The ongoing war, it was relocated several times. Biafra attempted to finance the war through foreign exchange. After Nigeria announced its currency would no longer be legal tender (to make way for a new currency), this effort increased. After the announcement, tons of Nigerian bank notes were transported in an effort to acquire foreign exchange. The currency of Biafra had been the Nigerian pound until

7056-419: The only trusted social apparatus educating and inculcating first hand information and news to its members. Biafra had previously existed as an Independent multi-ethnic Republic consisting of the Igbo, peoples to name a few and was declared by Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu for three years, 1967 through 1970. The federal government fought hard to preserve the Federal Republic of Nigeria and did not like

7154-450: The political system by the North, and the chaos breaking out across the country, motivated elements within the military to consider decisive action. The federal government, dominated by Northern Nigeria, allowed the crisis to unfold with the intention of declaring a state of emergency and placing the Western Region under martial law. This administration of the Nigerian federal government was widely perceived to be corrupt. In January 1966,

7252-539: The public scene, as he was previously an unknown figure. Kanu was arrested by the Nigerian security forces on 19 October 2015, on charges of "sedition, ethnic incitement and treasonable felony." On occasion of Kanu's second arrest in June 2021, he appointed Simon Ekpa as the lead broadcaster of Radio Biafra and Spokesperson for IPOB pending his release. However, Ekpa has been a controversial figure within IPOB, especially when he began to argue that Kanu could no longer lead

7350-401: The region of today's West Cameroon, including an area around today's Equatorial Guinea. The German publisher Johann Heinrich Zedler , in his encyclopedia of 1731 , published the exact geographical location of the capital of Biafara, namely alongside the river Rio dos Camaroes in today's Cameroon, underneath 6 degrees 10 min latitude. The words Biafara and Biafares also appear on maps from

7448-471: The restoration of Biafra and in October 2023, it convened a three-day convention where the possibility of a Biafra referendum was discussed, attended by over 500 Biafrans and delegates globally. On 1 February 2024, a digital E-Voting was adopted, and a self-referendum kick-started the same day. Within days of the referendum exercise, more than two million electorates were reportedly recorded. Prior to

7546-549: The restoration of an independent Biafran state has been led by Simon Ekpa , a Finnish politician and Biafran political activist. Ekpa describes himself as Nnamdi Kanu's disciple. He serves as the leader ("prime minister") of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), since 2023. In 2023, BRGIE inaugurated an administrative office in Maryland , United States. It initiated the process of declaring

7644-608: The same causes. There has been recent peaceful protest in Nigeria regarding IPOB. The organization's leader and a prominent activist named Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by Nigeria's Department of State Services on 19 October 2015. In response to his arrest there has been a group of pro-Biafran protesters who have been leading marches in eastern parts of Nigeria to push for his release. His arrest has pushed IPOB supporters into gaining further traction, as their mobilization grew. There have been many protesters and police clashes; on 2 December 2015, nine protesters and two policemen were killed at

7742-466: The self-referendum exercise, BRGIE had already inaugurated a committee for the Biafra restoration declaration process in January 2024. Indigenous People of Biafra Kanu is known as a British political activist known for his advocacy of the contemporary Biafran independence movement. It was declared a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government in 2017 under the Nigerian Terrorism Act but

7840-532: The situation reached a breaking point. A military coup occurred during which a mixed but predominantly Igbo group of army officers assassinated 30 political leaders, including Nigeria's Prime Minister, Sir  Abubakar Tafawa Balewa , and the Northern premier, Sir  Ahmadu Bello . The four most senior officers of Northern origin were also killed. Nnamdi Azikiwe , the President, of Igbo extraction, and

7938-707: The state. Amnesty International released a report detailing that countless IPOB protesters were killed between the 29th through 30 May 2016 during a governmental operation wanting to prevent IPOB members marching from Nkpor motor park to a rally. The Nigerian army claims that they were acting in self-defense, and that the death count lies at five instead of fifty. These killings have not been investigated by Nigeria, despite urgings from Amnesty International. Human rights organizations have been keeping records of extrajudicial killings in Biafra. They claim that from August 2015 through February 2016, 170 unarmed civilians were killed and that 400 were arrested, charged or detained without

8036-599: The support of most Biafrans. The FMG attacked Biafra on 6 July 1967. Nigeria's initial efforts were unsuccessful; the Biafrans successfully launched their own offensive, and expansion efforts; occupying areas in the mid-Western Region in August ;1967. This led to the creation of the Republic of Benin , a short lived puppet state. However, with the support of British, American and Soviet governments, Nigeria turned

8134-504: The surrender of Biafrans, some Igbos who had fled the conflict returned to their properties but were unable to claim them back from new occupants. This became law in the Abandoned Properties Act (28 September 1979). It was purported that at the start of the civil war, Igbos withdrew their funds from Nigerian banks and converted it to the Biafran currency. After the war, bank accounts owned by Biafrans were seized and

8232-511: The territory of Biafra, resulting in the start of the Nigerian Civil War . Biafra was officially recognised by Gabon , Haiti , Ivory Coast , Tanzania , and Zambia while receiving de facto recognition and covert military support from France , Portugal , Israel , South Africa and Rhodesia . After nearly three years of war, during which around two million Biafran civilians died, president Ojukwu fled into exile in Ivory Coast as

8330-484: The tide of the war. By October 1967, the FMG had regained the land after intense fighting. In September 1968, the federal army planned what Gowon described as the "final offensive". Initially, the final offensive was neutralised by Biafran troops. In the latter stages, a Southern FMG offensive managed to break through the fierce resistance. Due to the proliferation of television and international news organizations,

8428-628: The total blockade of the region by the Nigerian government, Biafran forces under Nigeria's motto of "No-victor, No-vanquished" surrendered to the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG) . The surrender was facilitated by the Biafran Vice President and Chief of General Staff, Major General Philip Effiong , who assumed leadership of the Republic of Biafra after the first President, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu , fled to Ivory Coast . After

8526-424: The war found a global audience. 1968 saw the images of malnourished and starving Biafran children reach the mass media of Western countries and led to non-governmental organisations become involved to provide humanitarian aid, leading to the Biafran airlift . After two-and-a-half years of war, during which almost two million Biafran civilians (three-quarters of them small children) died from starvation caused by

8624-474: The war in their growing years exhibit reduced adult stature, increased likelihood of being overweight, earlier age at first birth, and lower educational attainment. Exposure to a primary education program mitigates impacts of war exposure on education. War-exposed men marry later and have fewer children. War exposure of mothers (but not fathers) has adverse impacts on child growth, survival, and education. Impacts vary with age of exposure. For mother and child health,

8722-827: The welfare of victims. In their study Smallpox and its Eradication , Fenner and colleagues describe how vaccine supply shortages during the Biafra smallpox campaign led to the development of the focal vaccination technique, later adopted worldwide by the World Health Organization of the United Nations , which led to the early and cost-effective interruption of smallpox transmission in West Africa and elsewhere. In 2010, researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and University of Nigeria at Nsukka showed that Igbos born in Biafra during

8820-471: The years of the famine were of higher risk of suffering from obesity, hypertension and impaired glucose metabolism compared to controls born a short period after the famine had ended in the early 1970s. The findings are in line with the developmental origin of health and disease hypothesis suggesting that malnutrition in early life is a predisposing factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes later in life. A 2017 paper found that Biafran "women exposed to

8918-469: Was a result of IPOB funding right-wing American lobbyists to influence U.S. foreign policy towards Nigeria. Bruce Fein , a conservative American lawyer, has frequently spoken out in support of IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu. After defeating Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden reversed Donald Trump's decision to designate Nigeria as a country violating religious freedom, resulting in criticism from Christian and right-wing groups and lawmakers in

9016-682: Was again arrested along with 20 other BZF members after they publicly announced their intention to occupy the Enugu Government House, raise the Biafran flag , and declare the independence of Biafra. Fifty-two members of the Biafra Zionist Front, including Onwuka, were arrested on 30 May 2023 in Enugu , allegedly while marching to raise the flag of Biafra inside the Enugu Government House. One member

9114-685: Was demarcated primarily along ethnic lines: Hausa and Fulani majority in the north, Yoruba majority in the West, and Igbo majority in the East. Ethnic tension had simmered in Nigeria during discussions of independence, but in the mid-twentieth century, ethnic and religious riots began to occur. In 1945 an ethnic riot flared up in Jos in which Hausa-Fulani people targeted Igbo people and left many dead and wounded. Police and Army units from Kaduna had to be brought in to restore order. A newspaper article describes

9212-644: Was denounced by the Interim Government of Ambazonia as well as by other Biafran separatist groups. According to a BBC News Pidgin report, the Nigerian Army raided the IPOB headquarters seizing weapons in a joint operation with State Services and IRT operatives (Nigerian Army Police Intelligence Response Team). Government officials described it as a success. In course of the insurgency, IPOB militants have been accused of committing war crimes such as murdering civilians, including children. One of

9310-533: Was released on bail on 24 April 2017 after spending more than 19 months without trial of his treason charges. Self-determination is not a crime in Nigerian law. According to the South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights Organisations, security forces under the directive of the federal government have killed 80 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and their supporters between 30 August 2015 and 9 February 2016 in

9408-440: Was shot and killed by police during the demonstration. This article about an organization in Nigeria is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Biafra Biafra ( / b i ˈ æ f r ə / bee- AF -rə ), officially the Republic of Biafra , was a partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of

9506-559: Was sympathetic to Biafra. Before he won the 1968 election , he accused Nigeria of committing a genocide against Biafrans and called for the United States to intervene in the war to support Biafra. However, he was ultimately unsuccessful in his efforts to aid Biafra due to the demands of the Vietnam War . An early institution created by the Biafran government was the Bank of Biafra, accomplished under "Decree No. 3 of 1967". The bank carried out all central banking functions including

9604-657: Was used as the national language. The Republic of Biafra, a short-lived secessionist state in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970, was characterized by a unitary republic structure administered under emergency measures. It comprised an executive branch led by the Biafran president and the Biafran Cabinet, along with a judicial branch that included the Ministry of Justice, the Biafran Supreme Court, and other subordinate courts, reflecting its attempts to establish

#840159