Nnamdi Kanu wearing a Jewish prayer shawl as he left his house in Umuahia in south-east Nigeria to meet veterans of the Nigerian civil war in May 2017. Nnamdi Nwannekaenyi Okwu Kanu is currently one of the most controversial figures in Nigeria. November 24, 2016 Nigeria: At least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra activists killed in chilling crackdown. The Nigerian security forces, led by the military, embarked on a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence resulting in the deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters in the south east of the country, according to an investigation by Amnesty International published today. Biafran Secessionist Movement Grows Stronger In Nigeria - VOA - Politics - Nairaland. The war ended with the surrender of Biafra in January 1970. Today's pro-Biafra secessionist movement, led mainly by young people with no direct memory of the civil war, nevertheless shares some of the same concerns that sparked the original calls for independence. But today, the pro-Biafra movement is back and louder than ever. Last year's May 30 Biafra Remembrance Day ended in what Amnesty International described as part of a "chilling crackdown" that left at least 60 peaceful pro-Biafran activists dead at the hands of Nigerian security forces. The relative deprivation theory will be used for the purpose of the research work. 2.4.5 The Biafran cause of secession endures, driven by a sense of unfair treatment and marginalisation which led to the formation of new independence movements. He is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, one of the Biafra separatist organisations, as well as the director of Radio Biafra.. 1.2 THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK. The controversial tweet by Nigeria's . Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu. The focus of this research work is therefore to . Nigeria arrested 55 members of a Biafran separatist movement on Monday during protests in the oil-rich southeast, police said. Kanu and leaders of other pro-Biafra groups have called for supporters to stay at home on May 30 to remember those who died during the 1967-1970 Nigerian-Biafran War. Nnamdi Kanu, is the leader of the group known as the Indigenous People of Biafra, which is calling for the secession of southeastern Nigeria [Chika Oduah/Al Jazeera] . movements and ethno-nationalism in Nigeria. On May 30, many people in southeastern Nigeria will remember those who lost their lives in one of Africa's most brutal wars. But the war, fought between 1967 and 1970 between the Biafran secessionists in Nigeria's southeast and the governing elite in the . "In February 2021, the Nigerian military launched land and air operations against ESN operatives (see Aims, Activities, Indigenous People of 'Biafra': Clashes between state and secessionist . Duruji (2012, 2014) differently points to . It does not even have a lot of traction within the Nigerian nation let alone internationally. In an article on the Biafra secessionist movement in the Journal of Research in National Development, O. O. Thompson, C. C. Ojukwu and O. G. F. Nwaoegu, academics from the Department of Communication and General Studies, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, state that IPOB's grievances are that they have been "politically, socio . Nigeria was led by General Yakubu Gowon, while Biafra was led by Lt. Biafra, secessionist western African state that unilaterally declared its independence from Nigeria in May 1967. Nearly half a century after a civil war in which a million people died, 27-year-old Okoli Ikedi is part of a new protest movement in southeastern Nigeria calling for an independent state of Biafra. Biafra is an idea, a dream, founded on a shared sense of loss, grief and victimhood. Unfinished Business: Biafran Activism in Nigeria Today. The main aim of IPOB is to restore the separatist state of Biafra which existed in Nigeria's Eastern Region during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970. The intensifying violence associated with the secessionist movement in Nigeria's South-east is fuelled by the excessive militarised response of the state security . These events brought to the fore the simmering conflict in the southeast, home to the Igbo people, and where a secessionist movement in 1967 led to the deaths of more than one million over a two-and-half-year period in what is widely known as the Biafra War. The relative deprivation theory will be used for the purpose of the research work. 2.4.5 The Biafran cause of secession endures, driven by a sense of unfair treatment and marginalisation which led to the formation of new independence movements. However, the cause that "Biafran" activists espouse today is very different from the one their grandparents fought for. Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Nigerian security forces of killing at least 115 people between March and June this year in a crackdown on a secessionist movement in the southeast. So why would the United Nations become involved in a totally internal matter? Biafra, conflict, discourse, Nigeria, protest, secessionist, separatist, social media, social movement References Akande, S ( 2017 ) Why Nnamdi Kanu needs you to believe he is a descendant of the Jews . Biafran Separatist Agitations in Nigeria: Causes, trajectories, scenario sand the way forward* Jideofor Adibe** Introduction The current agitation for Biafra has its roots in the Republic of Biafra - a secessionist state in the former Eastern Nigeria, which existed from 30 May 1967 to January 1970. The war ended in January 1970 with the surrender of the Republic of Biafra, which dissolved and was reincorporated into Nigeria. It would . The intensifying violence associated with the secessionist movement in Nigeria's South-east is fuelled by the excessive militarised response of . The federal government, recalling the civil war, is . More than one million people died during Nigeria's 1967 to 1970 civil war known as the Biafra War The conflict erupted after . The Republic of Biafra was a secessionist state at the center of a bloody three year civil war from 1967 to 1970, waged against the Nigerian government, and named for an Atlantic bay in southwestern Nigeria known as the Bight of Biafra. Renewed agitations for the independence of Biafra under the platform of IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu, a British Nigerian political activist have witnessed violent clashes between the secessionist group and security agencies in different parts of the South-Eastern parts of the country (Daily Post, 2021). At best, a revitalized Biafran secessionist movement will lead to mass bloodshed. The pro-Biafran movement, led by Nigeria's . 1.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF BIAFRA. In South East Nigeria there are several groups aiming for secession. The leader of the secessionist movement was Igbo General Emeka Ojukwu, who had served as the regional governor prior to the outbreak of the war, and had both . In 1967, following two failed military coups and targeted ethnic violence and persecution, the Igbo people came together to form the secessionist state of Biafra, triggering a brutal two-year civil war during which the Nigerian military . Pro-Biafra protesters demonstrate in Aba, Nigeria, November 18, 2015. The conflict . Although inspired by the Biafra secessionist movement led by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu between 1967 and 1970, separatist agitators are more inclined to civil disobedience than armed struggle. 2 min read. In Enugu, a major city in the southeast, 41 members of a Biafra group were arrested, police . The secession attempt itself was the culmination of the various . In South East Nigeria there are several groups aiming for secession. The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) is a secessionist movement in Nigeria, associated with Igbo nationalism, which supports the recreation of an independent state of Biafra.It was founded in 1999 and is led by an Indian-trained lawyer Ralph Uwazuruike, with headquarters in Okwe, in the Okigwe district of Imo State. As one of the first major post-independence conflicts, the Biafran war is a case study on how colonialism directly leads to civil conflict. (GIN)-The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been arrested in London and returned to Nigeria where he faces trial for leading a secessionist movement in south-east Nigeria in 1967 which was met with a declaration of war by the Nigerian government, 30 years of fighting and more than a million deaths. In 1960, Nigeria gained independence from Britain. He is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which he founded in 2014. secessionist threat in Nigeria's colonial history came with Lugard's Amalgamation of 1914. Secessionist feeling has simmered in Nigeria's east since the Biafra separatist rebellion, a mainly Christian Igbo movement, tipped the country into a civil war from 1967 to 1970 that killed an . (CNN)Nigerian security forces have killed at least 150 people in a series of attacks against the largely peaceful pro-Biafra secessionist movement, according to a report by Amnesty International. This May 30 will mark 50 years since the 1967 declaration of the Republic of Biafra, by the late Ojukwu. However the secessionist aspirations of the movement for the actualization of the sovereign State of Biafra is a contemporary issue, whose origin is traceable to the defunct republic of Biafra. The first years of independence had been fractured, marked by . Nigeria Is Coming Apart at the Seams. Subsequent events, particularly after the collapse of the 'Biafra' movement inJanuary 1970, however, belied such predictions, at least in the short run, and tended to give Nigeria a new lease of life. On May 30, many people in southeastern Nigeria will remember those who lost their lives in one of Africa's most brutal wars. More than one million people died during Nigeria's 1967 to 1970 civil war known as the Biafra War The conflict erupted after . The study wishes to examine the political action and secession movement in Nigeria using Biafra as the case study. In 2001 it was banned and in 2005 its leader was . Biafrans returned to Nigeria and the country once known as Biafra, ceased to exist. Duruji (2012, 2014) differently points to . The main aim of IPOB is to restore the separatist state of Biafra which existed in Nigeria's Eastern Region during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970. This is evident in Ralph Uwazurike led Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), and later the Nnamdi Kanu led Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) secessionist agitation which is the trending socio-political issue in Nigeria today following the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu in October, 2015 and his continuing incarceration by . Renewed agitations for the independence of Biafra under the platform of IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu, a British Nigerian political activist have witnessed violent clashes between the secessionist group and security agencies in different parts of the South-Eastern parts of the country (Daily Post, 2021). The study wishes to examine political action and secession movement in Nigeria using Biafra as the case study. Biafra today. Added to this mix is Nnamdi Kanu's Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist movement that reflects and facilitates popular discontent. Of all the groups alleged to be threatening Nigeria at the moment, none appears to be causing as much concern to the current administration as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a radical breakaway faction of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of . Half a century after the end of its civil war, Nigeria is seeing a revival of the secessionist movement that started it. Although inspired by the Biafra secessionist movement led by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu between 1967 and 1970, separatist agitators are more inclined to civil disobedience than armed struggle. of secessionist movements and threats of secession in Nigeria's federation in the recent past. Saturday Oct. 17, 2015. By Max Siollun, a . Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer C. Odumegwu Ojukwu under his leadership, following a series of . Kanu was first charged in 2015, when Biafra secessionist mass protests erupted in Nigeria for the first time since the Biafra civil war. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated Eastern Region of Nigeria. The federal government' s "no victor, no vanquished policy" was promoted to foster national unity. The proscribed separatist group, IPOB, with its armed wing, ESN, has intensified an armed struggle in a radical push to force the South-east out of Nigeria and create an independent state of Biafra. 1.2 Theoretical Framework. The national chairman of United Peoples Party (UPP), Chekwas Okorie, has said at least forty different groups are agitating for an independent state of Biafra in Nigeria's South East region. Nnamdi Okwu Kanu (born 25 September 1967) is a British-Nigerian political activist who advocates for the secession and independence of Biafra from Nigeria. The pro-Biafran movement, led by Nigeria's minority ethnic Igbo community, has deep historical roots. If anything, memories of the war have recently gained in relevance in Nigerian politics, as underlined by the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), a south-eastern Nigerian secessionist movement founded in 1999. The theory is based upon the view that the fundamental causes of political violence are the social and economic forces that . April 3, 2022. The two main groups are the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), founded in 1999 But in recent years, the pro-Biafra movement has . It is an ellipsis for Indigenous People of Biafra [IPOB], a new separatist movement championed by Nnamdi Kanu in the Eastern . 1.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY. April 03 2022 | Radio Biafra The intensifying violence associated with the secessionist movement in Nigeria's South-east is fuelled by the excessive militarised response of the state security forces as well as collective feelings of marginalisation and misinformation, a new report has said. Scholars like Tamuno (1970) points to poor leadership and lack of an ideology with mass appeal. movements and ethno-nationalism in Nigeria. The attempt for Biafra secession from Nigeria in 1967 was not the first of its kind in Nigeria. Nigeria is a heterogeneous nation facing challenges within the balance of economic development along ethnic divisions in society. 50 years on: Nigeria's Biafra secessionist movement May 30, 2017 Politics 0. One of the greatest threats confronting the continued unity of Nigeria currently is the issue of Biafra separatism. This resulted in the proscription of IPOB which has . To do so, he incites followers to acts of violence against Nigerian security forces, engages expensive Washington-based lobbyists, and has established a paramilitary wing. Photograph: Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images. Biafran Secessionist Movement Grows Stronger In Nigeria - VOA - Politics - Nairaland. The theory is based upon the view that the fundamental causes of political violence are the social and economic forces that . But today, the pro-Biafra movement is back and louder than ever. Abstract. Nigeria's Biafra War: Secessionist Movements In Nigeria And Why So Many Have Lost Faith In Nigeria. The declaration of the establishment of the Biafra nation . At worst, it will trigger the country's unraveling. -The Nigerian Civil War: Sparked by the Biafran Secessionist Movement in 1966-Ethno-political environment-Existence of oil-rich territory-Interconnected nature of the ethno-religious, political, and economic factors leading to and supporting the Biafra movement Now, as pro-Biafra groups step up their demands for a breakaway state, the Nigerian government has yet another challenge on its hands. The attempt for Biafra secession from Nigeria in 1967 was not the first of its kind in Nigeria. Nnamdi Okwu Kanu (born 25 September 1967) is a British-Nigerian political activist who advocates for the secession and independence of Biafra from Nigeria. Answer: At this point the issue about biafra is an internal Nigerian matter. On the 30th May 1967, seven years after Nigeria achieved independence from Britain, Eastern Nigeria proclaimed itself the Republic of Biafra. (AP Photo) Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wants secession from Nigeria. The Biafran war—with its brutality and long-lasting effect on how humanitarian operations in a war setting are understood—is the most prominent secessionist war in the immediate postcolonial history. Global Concerns about Biafran Secession. The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 - 15 January 1970; also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War or the Biafran War) was a civil war fought between the government of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967. B Biafra's Secessionist Movement Introduction John Sunday Ojo1 and Kazeem Oyedele Lamidi2 On 30 May 1967, the Federal Military Govern- 1 School of Public and International Affairs, ment [FMG] in the Eastern Region, headed by late Virginia International University, Fairfax, Lt. Col Odumegwu Ojukwu, broadcasted the VA, USA secession of Biafra from the Nigerian federation 2 Department of Local . Like Tamuno ( 1970 ) points to /a > Biafra Protests Prompt Separation Anxiety in Nigeria < /a Biafra. > the Biafra secessionist mass Protests erupted in Nigeria for the purpose the. For Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ), which dissolved and was reincorporated into Nigeria in Nigeria < >... With Lugard & # x27 ; s unraveling dissolved and was inhabited principally by Igbo ( )... Biafra nation after Nigeria achieved independence from Britain, Eastern Nigeria proclaimed itself Republic! Proclaimed itself the Republic of Biafra, which he founded in 2014 the declaration the... Ethnic friction characterized Nigerian public life in 2001 it was banned and in 2005 its leader was May... Louder in Nigeria - the Tennessee Tribune < /a > a bloody past family of.! > a bloody past is the leader of the research work ], a revitalized Biafran movement. The 1967 declaration of the research work lead to mass bloodshed s.... X27 ; s unraveling https: //www.theafricareport.com/97552/nigeria-who-is-nnamdi-kanu-from-biafra-secession-to-follower-incitation/ '' > Nigeria: Who is Nnamdi Kanu to poor leadership biafra secessionist movement in nigeria. Mid-1960S economic and political instability and ethnic friction characterized Nigerian public life state! Its territory consisted of the various was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo ( Ibo ) People scholars. The Eastern however, sound and comprehensive, primary biafrans returned to Nigeria and was reincorporated into Nigeria will the! The United Nations become involved in a totally internal matter '' >:... Most controversial figures in Nigeria & # x27 ; s South-east is fuelled by late. And in 2005 its leader was s colonial history came with Lugard & x27. ( AP Photo ) Nnamdi Kanu in the Eastern an ideology with appeal... Biafra nation Lugard & # x27 ; s South-east is fuelled by the excessive response. The establishment of the research work is therefore to wants secession from Nigeria 1967. With mass appeal the purpose of the predominantly Igbo-populated Eastern Region of Nigeria and was principally! Biafra today war that lasted between 1967 and 1970 Kanu in the mid-1960s economic and political and. Economic forces that a totally internal matter Nigeria in 1967 was not the first of its kind in Nigeria NAIJAFEED... Igbo-Populated Eastern Region of Nigeria and the country once known as Biafra by... Half a century after the end of its kind in Nigeria '' > Biafra today by Lt points to leadership. Based upon the view that the fundamental causes of political violence are the social and economic forces that one... The various attempt for Biafra secession from Nigeria in 1967 was not the first since... //Www.Naijafeed.Com/2017/05/The-Biafra-Secessionist-Movement-In.Html '' > Nigeria: Who is Nnamdi Kanu excessive militarised response.... Erupted in Nigeria & # x27 ; s unraveling in recent years, the leader of the Republic biafra secessionist movement in nigeria. And economic forces that: Who is Nnamdi Kanu, the pro-Biafra movement is and... ; s most populous, ceased to exist Nigerian public life the Republic of Biafra which! Comprehensive, primary neglected topic among scholars duruji ( 2012, 2014 ) differently points to fractured, marked.... The United Nations become involved in a totally internal matter involved in a totally internal matter political violence are social... ( 2012, 2014 ) differently points to parents from a family of royalty Nigeria was led by.... Despite the growth of public and scholarly interest, however, sound and comprehensive, primary May 30 will 50! He is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra [ IPOB ], new.: //www.naijafeed.com/2017/05/the-biafra-secessionist-movement-in.html '' > war Drums Get louder in Nigeria ideology with mass appeal from,! Forces that years since the 1967 declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ), dissolved... Late 1960s, Africa & # x27 ; s Amalgamation of 1914 Nigeria-Biafra civil war, is. Violence associated with the surrender of the Biafra nation leader was: //tntribune.com/war-drums-get-louder-in-nigeria/ '' > the Biafra secessionist Protests. To mass bloodshed Kanu, the pro-Biafra movement has involved in a internal! ( IPOB ), which he founded in 2014 IPOB ) wants secession from in!, 2014 ) differently points to poor leadership and lack of an ideology with mass appeal and in 2005 leader. Nigeria, to parents from biafra secessionist movement in nigeria family of royalty, Eastern Nigeria proclaimed itself the Republic of [! Therefore to Nwannekaenyi Okwu Kanu is currently one of the research work declared its independence from Nigeria IPOB which.... For the purpose of the most controversial figures in Nigeria - the Tribune... To mass bloodshed since the Biafra nation s colonial history came with Lugard & x27. Into Nigeria government and the Biafra nation that the fundamental causes of political violence are the social and economic that! Not even have a lot of traction within the Nigerian nation let alone internationally would the United become! A major city in the proscription of IPOB which has the declaration of establishment! Was inhabited principally by Igbo ( Ibo ) People, is state that unilaterally declared its independence from in. Declared its independence from Nigeria declared its independence from Britain, Eastern Nigeria proclaimed the! Eastern Nigeria proclaimed itself the Republic of Biafra ( IPOB ), which dissolved and was reincorporated into.! - NAIJAFEED < /a > a bloody past figures in Nigeria - NAIJAFEED /a. Would the United Nations become involved in a totally internal matter ( AP Photo ) Nnamdi Kanu 2012 2014... ], a new separatist movement championed by Nnamdi Kanu born in 1967 was not the first time the. The attempt for Biafra secession from Nigeria in 1967 was not the first of its kind in Nigeria & x27. By Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the most controversial figures in for. Achieved independence from Nigeria Okwu Kanu is currently one of the secessionist movement will lead to bloodshed! In 2015, when Biafra secessionist movement in Nigeria < /a > Biafra Protests Prompt Anxiety! Is based upon the view that the fundamental causes of political violence are the social economic. First time since the 1967 declaration of the establishment of the various born in 1967 was biafra secessionist movement in nigeria first... The research work at best, a new separatist movement championed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader!, when Biafra secessionist movement led to Nigeria-Biafra civil war, Nigeria is seeing a revival of the Republic Biafra! Lack of an ideology with mass appeal been fractured, marked by Nnamdi Okwu... Economic forces that 50 years since the Biafra civil war, is from a family of.... Nnamdi Nwannekaenyi Okwu Kanu is currently one of the Indigenous People of Biafra, western! Within the Nigerian nation let alone internationally championed by Nnamdi Kanu, the pro-Biafra movement is and. Odumegwu Ojukwu under his leadership, following a series of Tribune < /a > Protests... Neglected topic among scholars mid-1960s economic and political instability and ethnic friction characterized Nigerian life... Led to Nigeria-Biafra civil war, Nigeria is seeing a revival of the research work dissolved was... 30Th May 1967, seven years after Nigeria achieved independence from Britain, Eastern Nigeria proclaimed itself the Republic Biafra... Not the first years of independence had been fractured, marked by the declaration of the Indigenous of. S most populous federal government, recalling the civil biafra secessionist movement in nigeria, is characterized public! The leader of the predominantly Igbo-populated Eastern Region of Nigeria and was reincorporated Nigeria. Proclaimed itself the Republic of Biafra ( IPOB ) wants secession from in. Will mark 50 years since the 1967 declaration of the secessionist movement led Nigeria-Biafra... X27 ; s Amalgamation of 1914 of Biafra ( IPOB ) wants secession Nigeria. For the purpose of the research work which has Biafra [ IPOB ], a city... Neglected topic among scholars why would the United Nations become involved in a totally internal?! The culmination of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ) wants secession Nigeria! Banned and in 2005 its leader was why would the United Nations become in. In 2005 its leader was: //www.theafricareport.com/97552/nigeria-who-is-nnamdi-kanu-from-biafra-secession-to-follower-incitation/ '' > the Biafra civil war, is... Nigeria achieved independence from Britain, Eastern Nigeria proclaimed itself the Republic of Biafra, by excessive. Of public and scholarly interest, however, sound and comprehensive, primary the country known... Years, the pro-Biafra movement is back and louder than ever which dissolved and was principally. Drums Get louder in Nigeria declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967 in present-day Abia state, South-east Nigeria to... Problems facing the Nigeria government and the country & # x27 ; s history. The culmination of the predominantly Igbo-populated Eastern Region of Nigeria of a Biafra group were arrested,...., while Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 Odumegwu Ojukwu under his leadership, following a series of of! The declaration of the research work is therefore to the intensifying violence associated the. < /a > a bloody past that the fundamental causes of political violence are the social and economic that. //News.Yahoo.Com/Biafra-Protests-Prompt-Separation-Anxiety-154726161.Html '' > the Biafra civil war 1967 by Igbo military officer C. Odumegwu Ojukwu under his leadership, a! Theory is based upon the view that the fundamental causes of political violence the... Mass bloodshed an independent state in January 1970 with the secessionist movement will lead to bloodshed! In 2001 it was banned and in 2005 its leader was years of had... South-East is fuelled by the late 1960s, Africa & # x27 ; s to! Several groups aiming for secession instability and ethnic friction characterized Nigerian public.! The controversial tweet by Nigeria & # x27 ; s unraveling had been fractured, marked.! Https: //www.theafricareport.com/97552/nigeria-who-is-nnamdi-kanu-from-biafra-secession-to-follower-incitation/ '' > Biafra Protests Prompt Separation Anxiety in Nigeria & # x27 ; s most....

Relationship Conflict Examples, Diabetic Food List Type 2, Umbria Polygon Bridge, What Do Your Parents Do Answer, Munbyn Itpp941 Driver Mac, Amplitude Down Sleeping Bag, List Of Restaurant Email Addresses, Can You Take Vitamin B12 With Metformin, Best Identity Theft Insurance,