By Chimobi Nwiwu

On May 30, 1967, Col. Emeka Ojukwu, then governor of the defunct South-East Region of Nigeria, declared the independence of the Republic of Biafra from Nigeria.

His action followed the targeted mass killings of Igbo people in Northern and Western Nigeria, otherwise known as the pogrom of 1966.

The birth of the new secessionist nation was met with resistance from the Federal Government, leading to the 30-month Nigerian Civil War.

58 years after, the Publicity Secretary of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group championing the realization of a sovereign state of Biafra, Mr. Emma Powerful, speaks on Biafra and what it means to the Igbo both historically and in contemporary times. He explains why the Biafran spirit is believed to be alive long after the collapse of the republic in 1970.

This is 58 years since the declaration of the state of Biafra by Col. Emeka Ojukwu. What do you think is the significance of that declaration?

IPOB is aware that this is the 58th anniversary of the Biafra declaration by the Eastern Consultative Assembly, led by our eternal leader, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. The Biafra declaration was significant because it marked the beginning of the Biafran self-determination movement. It was made in the interest of Biafrans, who were targeted for elimination in the Northern and Western regions of Nigeria.

The pogroms against Biafrans were driven by envy and jealousy. Only a tree watches idly while it is about to be cut down. As a proactive leader, our eternal leader, Dim Ojukwu, in consultation with the Eastern Region Assembly, had to declare Biafra as an independent nation to protect Biafrans from annihilation. However, the Biafra declaration did not go down well with the Nigerian state and their British masters.

They declared a genocidal war of extermination against the young and unprepared Biafran nation. But the Biafran leader, General Ojukwu, and other Biafran heroes fought a war of self-preservation to stop the planned ethnic cleansing and annihilation of Biafrans. That is why IPOB annually remembers and honours those Biafran heroes who made irreparable sacrifices for us to be alive in our ancestral lands today.

Can you describe what Biafra really means for the Igbo man in today’s Nigeria?

Biafra, to the Biafrans, represents liberation from hate, jealousy, envy, ethnic cleansing, state-sponsored terrorism, political exclusion, political hooliganism, and economic servitude. The prayer of 98% of Biafrans today is for Biafran independence. To Ndigbo and other indigenous Biafrans, Nigeria represents slavery and hopelessness. Though your question assumes that the Biafra nation consists only of Ndigbo, Biafra actually consists of ethnic nationalities across 13 states in present-day Nigeria.

Ndigbo is just one of the tribes that make up the Biafran nation. It is true that the majority of those at the forefront of the Biafran independence movement are Igbos, but that does not mean other non-Igbo Biafrans are not part of the struggle. In fact, Biafra is made up of people from the old Eastern Region, Mid-West Region, and Ndigbo in Kogi and Benue states.

Do you think the declaration of Biafra by Ojukwu was actually necessary at the time?

General Ojukwu and the Eastern Consultative Assembly took the right decision in declaring Biafran independence in 1967 to save Ndigbo and other Biafrans from pogroms and annihilation. Is there any father who will watch idly while his children are being killed? In fact, the same scenarios that necessitated the 1967 Biafra declaration still prevail in today’s Nigeria.

The political and economic exclusion of Biafrans has extended into every sector, including education. Biafrans in the past, and even today, have been victimized and excluded by the Nigerian government. The late Ojukwu’s second-in-command, the late Gen. Philip Effiong, warned the Nigerian government to treat the surrendering Biafrans well or risk a new generation rising up to demand Biafra again.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian state and Britain have vowed never to treat Biafrans as equals, even though Biafran resources are the main sustainers of Nigeria. Nigerian state has continued with marginalization, nepotism, and tribalism against Biafrans.

The new generation of Biafrans, led by our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, through a peaceful IPOB movement, has come to demand what is rightfully ours, the independent state of Biafra. Nigerian government must understand that the fight for Biafran self-determination will not stop until Biafrans are given the opportunity to decide their political future via a referendum. If Nigeria wins, we will stop the agitation. IPOB has chosen the non-violent approach. Who knows what approach the next generation will choose if this peaceful offer is ignored?

Can you point out the reasons the defunct Republic of Biafra didn’t last beyond 30 months?

At the beginning of the genocidal war, the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War, the British and Nigerian governments and their allied forces were amazed that a young nation with no military might could withstand their power for 30 months. They thought Biafrans would be pushovers, but they were surprised by how gallantly Biafran soldiers fought.

However, Britain and Nigeria promulgated punitive and barbaric laws that blocked aid and relief materials from reaching Biafran territory. They used starvation, especially on children, as a weapon of war, which is a war crime under international law.

This starvation policy was the major reason the Biafran soldiers eventually surrendered. The murder of over 3.5 million Biafran children through starvation, backed by Britain and Nigeria, weakened the resolve of our gallant soldiers. Unfortunately, Britain used its international political muscle to block any investigation into the Biafran genocide. But no empire lasts forever.

58 years after, Biafra is still big in national and regional conversations. Why?

Biafra will remain an open wound in the minds of Nigerians and the world until the injustices and genocide against Biafrans are discussed and addressed. Biafra will remain a significant issue at the international, national, and regional levels until Biafrans are given the right to self-determination through a referendum. Every sensible Nigerian knows that the so-called unity of Nigeria is a fluke. The earlier we admit this and allow Biafrans and other willing nations to exit, the better for all of us.

Do you think the issues that gave birth to Biafra are still here?

Yes. The hatred and marginalization of Biafrans that began around the time of Nigeria’s independence are still present today. That’s why the issue of Biafran independence must be urgently discussed and not ignored. Ndigbo, who are the arrowheads of the struggle, are being targeted, harassed, intimidated, excluded, and terrorized by security agencies and terrorists. Look at how the Nigerian government is treating unarmed IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They use proxies in the South-East to commit crimes. The ethnic cleansing and terrorist activities are ignored by the media, yet fake news aimed at blackmailing IPOB and Kanu spreads rapidly. This same media blackmail was used in the 1960s to paint hardworking Biafrans as villains, which led to the profiling and mass slaughter of Biafrans in the North. Will this blackmail make IPOB members succumb? Never!

How do you think the Biafran question can be permanently answered?

The Biafran question can be resolved permanently if the Nigerian and British governments agree that Biafrans have the inalienable right to self-determination via a referendum. Britain used a referendum to exit the European Union. In 1961, through a referendum, parts of the Northern Region joined Nigeria while others joined Cameroon. So why is Nigeria pretending that a referendum is alien? IPOB has called for a referendum as a civilized, peaceful movement that believes in the rule of law. Biafra and Nigeria can exist side by side as neighbors, but not as one country where one side believes in entitlement and domination. Biafrans want a society where equality and human rights are protected — not a country that shields murderous terrorists and punishes the innocent. A referendum or outright Biafra independence is our demand. It is either Biafra or nothing.

IPOB has been championing the actualization of Biafra in today’s Nigeria. Do you think that is what Ndigbo need?

IPOB is not an Igbo-only movement. As I said earlier, Ndigbo are the main pillars, but IPOB represents the views of at least 90% of Biafrans, including other ethnic nationalities. We believe that Biafrans, particularly Ndigbo, desperately want an independent Biafra. However, to avoid imposition, IPOB has called for a referendum so Biafrans can voluntarily decide whether to remain in Nigeria or exit. If in doubt, let the Nigerian state give us a referendum date. Then they will see how fanatical Biafrans are about their freedom and independence.

There is an argument that if Biafra were granted statehood, the components would make it a failed state due to lack of Igbo consensus…

That is a media gimmick used by enemies of Biafrans to deceive the international community. Biafrans are peaceful and progressive. We are capable of managing our differences and building a strong and viable nation. As I said, let the Nigerian government give us a referendum date. The outcome will prove whether there is consensus or not. Before Britain created Nigeria through the 1914 amalgamation, Biafrans had practiced self-rule and democracy. Nigeria is already a failed state. Biafra will exemplify advanced democracy and rule of law that others will emulate.