Nigerian Civil War Research Articles

Restoring Nsukka Music School, 1970–1985

During the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) was plundered and was restored thereafter. This paper is about how the Department of Music in the UNN Nsukka Music School (NMS) was restored following the war. Data for the study were obtained from alumni who were eye witnesses; data-bearing documents in NMS’s office; embedded experience as a student in the NMS between 1977 and 1982; and, relevant publications. The data were subjected to deductive analysis and sequenced to answer the research questions. Findings indicate that between 1970 and 1975, the Sowande Building (SB) was renovated; the pioneer staff re-enlisted, as other faculty were appointed and sponsored abroad for graduate studies; a modicum of teaching-learning facilities was provided; a new curriculum was produced; and another building was erected and extended to cope with growing student registration. By 1979, most NMS faculty on graduate studies had returned, the extant teaching-learning facilities were decrepit, and some were replaced. With the new facilities, more ensembles were formed and public performances increased. By 1985, NMS was the flagship in Nigeria’s higher music education.

IGBO DIASPORA SUSCEPTIBILITY TO WESTERN CULTURAL VALUES

Migration had always been integral to Igbo history during the Pre-Colonial, Colonial and Post-Colonial eras. However, the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War had maximally influenced the rate of International migratory behaviour among the Igbo orchestrated by the desire for greener pastures. The susceptible nature of the Igbo diaspora to Westernization has enormous economic, social, and cultural implications for Igbo society, such that Western civilization has taken precedence over Igbo values and culture. The high level of assimilation into Westernization has led to cultural marginalization, a situation that often presents a real dilemma to Igbo in the Diaspora. In this regard, curiosity comes to mind and raises some apparent paradoxes on why the Igbo, who so much cherished their culture at home, now neglect the same culture abroad. The objective of this paper is to examine the challenges that the Igbo Diaspora faces in the face of two conflicting cultures (Igbo culture and Western culture), especially in raising their children born in the Diaspora in traditional Igbo cultural values despite the ubiquity of the Western socialization process. The methodology adopted by the paper is a historical approach and qualitative approach comprising oral sources and semi-structured interviews gotten from the experiences of Igbo Diasporas who usually come home for one function or the other. The paper found that Western practices are fast gripping into the lives of many Igbo Diasporas. Based on this, the paper concludes by urging that the Igbo Diaspora should evolve a viable option and measures to retain their traditional culture while still living in the Western culture.

Biafrans Everywhere: Diaspora Voices and Activism During the Nigerian Civil War

How did Biafrans abroad respond to the civil war events, and how did their reactions shape the experiences of their relatives across Biafra? I argue that the active protests, mobilizations and transnational appeals by Biafrans in the diaspora helped bring the war and its destructive characters to the attention of the global audience. Although the locations of the Biafrans abroad were not shaken by violence, they shared in the wartime agonies of their relatives in Biafra, and the extent to which such impacted them is reflected in how they mobilized, campaigned and conducted their activism across the diaspora.

Fifty Years After Nigerian Civil War: Social Support Is Associated with PTSD Symptoms Through Increased Self-Efficacy Among Biafran Veterans.

The Nigerian Civil War (or Nigerian-Biafran War, 1967-1970) was fought between the Nigerian federal government and the defunct Republic of Biafra. Biafra recruited young men and boys (child soldiers) to fight the war, but little attention has been given to understanding the mental health outcomes of the War on Biafran veterans. Although there are few studies on social support in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in this older veteran population, the mechanism through which social support influences PTSD has not received much attention. Hence, we investigated whether self-efficacy explains the association between social support and PTSD symptoms in a sample of Biafran War veterans. They were recruited from the Veterans' association in south-east Nigeria (N = 250; Mage = 71.33 years, SD = 7.11), and completed self-report measures of social support, self-efficacy, and PTSD symptoms. Results showed that veterans with greater social support (β = -.49, p < .001) and high self-efficacy reported less PTSD symptoms (β = -.55, p < .001). Above all, social support predicted decreased PTSD symptoms risk through increased self-efficacy, 95% CI [-0.53, -0.29]. By implication, social support may be associated with lower PTSD symptoms because it enhances efficacy beliefs, and thereby leads to less PTSD symptoms.

The Bonny Landing: The anatomy of Black Africa’s first amphibious operation, July to September 1967

The amphibious landing of troops at Bonny during the Nigerian Civil War is often described as a landmark feat accomplished by the military of a modern Black African state. It was the first of five landings which along with the instituting of a naval blockade formed the basis of the encirclement and eventual defeat of secessionist Biafra. This article captures the transformation of an erstwhile civilian marine department into a naval force which endured sabotage and defection prior to successfully transporting, landing, and affording covering fire for the federal Third Infantry Division. The article explains the military and political objectives, and also reveals the pivotal role played in its planning and execution by James Rawe, an expatriate British naval officer who was a veteran of the Normandy landings.

Aftermath performance: mourning in the work of Jelili Atiku

Adopting Marianne Hirsch’s definition of postmemory, this article considers Jelili Atiku’s 'In The Red' (2008–18), a series of performances that serves to commemorate the lives lost in the Nigerian Civil War and mass violence on a global scale. It evaluates the series in relation to the wider field of transnational memory art, mourning and the aesthetics of lament, revealing the various strategies the artist has utilised in his reanimation of violent histories.

The Danger of a Single Story of Women: Challenging Perpetrator-Dominated Discourse through Internal Focalization and Polyvocality in Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun

ABSTRACT: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 2006 novel, Half of a Yellow Sun , utilizes a nonchronological, polyvocal narrative structure to depict a group of people's lives before and during the Nigeria-Biafra War of 1967-70. Throughout its structure, the novel centers questions of authorial rights and suitability, as it through its internal metatext, "The World Was Silent When We Died," problematizes who authors stories of Biafra. Through a narratological investigation of the novel's implementation of polyvocality and internal focalization, I argue Half of a Yellow Sun refuses to provide an easily accepted authorial choice that atones Ugwu of his participation in rape. Instead, the narrative devices expose his projection toward sexual assault and reveal his misogyny toward women. The novel simultaneously condemns and accentuates the harming effects of male-dominated discourse where perpetrators control the narrative and exclude and/or skew the experiences of women victims of sexual assault as it calls for a diversity of voices.

Documents from the archive of foreign policy of the Russian Federation on the position of African countries towards the Nigerian civil war (1967–1970) and on the OAU’s peacemaking

OnMay 30, 1967 the southeastern provinces ofNigeria attempted to secede as the self-proclaimedRepublic ofBiafra.This caused theNigerian civil war which lasted fromJuly 6, 1967 toJanuary 15, 1970.Biafran army was defeated and capitulated.The international response to theNigerian crisis revealed an array of positions which were non-bloc, unique, and atypical of theColdWar era.TheSovietUnion found out itself in a motley crew ofFederalGovernment’s supporters –GreatBritain,EasternEuropean socialist countries,Arab states.TheUnitedStates declared neutrality.France,Portugal, theRepublic ofSouthAfrica, thePeople’sRepublic ofChina, andIsrael were onBiafra’s side, both explicitly and implicitly.Document № 1 shows that the balance of geopolitical interests of the great powers was projected ontoAfrica.Most ofAfrican nations, mainly formerBritish colonies, supportedNigeria’s territorial unity.Some countries sought an equidistant position.Côte d’Ivoire,Gabon,Zambia, andTanzania officially recognizedBiafra’s independence.Côte d’Ivoire andGabon retained close ties withFrance and in their foreign policy followed the former metropolia.The leaders ofZambia andTanzania have recognizedBiafra under the influence ofChina, which has established itself as one of the key actors inAfrica.Documents № 2 and № 3 contain information from the staff of theSovietEmbassy inEthiopia on theOAU’s attempts to achieve a peaceful settlement of theNigerian crisis.TheOAUsucceeded in securing the support of the overwhelming majority ofAfrican states for the retaining ofNigeria’s territorial integrity.TheOAU’s mediation efforts failed to achieve peace.TheBiafra leadership refused to capitulate as long as there were opportunities to resist and the federals was not going to bargain with separatists.The peace talks were used by both sides primarily for propaganda purposes.

UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE NAME ‘BIAFRA’ IN CONTEMPORARY IGBO SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN NIGERIA

Name is a social construct that gives identity to people in society. The name ‘Biafra’ has an interpretation and social context that is embedded with meanings among the Igbo of South-East, Nigeria. The name ‘Biafra’ expresses idea, social interpretation and value among Igbo people in their social interaction. This study explains the historical antecedents of the name ‘Biafra’, the contemporary use of Biafra by the Igbo for identity construction, social cohesion, and contextual symbol of the name ‘Biafra’ in Nigeria. Using qualitative method of data collection, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussion (FGD), twenty-six interviews were conducted with Biafra activists/representatives, Biafra war veterans and youth leaders in two selected communities namely, Aba and Onitsha in Abia and Anambra states, respectively. Data collected were analyzed using ethnographic content analysis. The findings of this study show that the name ‘Biafra’ holds social and cultural symbols that are presented as Biafuru (come and see) and Bia-fara (come and take) which is a symbol of olile-anya (hope) and nzoputa (emancipation). All these create Biafra symbolism for agitation, social identity, recognition, freedom and ofu-obi (social cohesion) that are associated with the Igbo society in Nigeria.

War and the Question of Identity: A Study of the Novel Half of a Yellow Sun and the Movie The Wall

This study examines the complex correlation between warfare and individual identity as depicted in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's literary work, "Half of a Yellow Sun." and a movie entitled “the wall”. The novel explores the effects of the Nigerian-Biafran War on personal and group identities, providing a captivating narrative within this historical context. The movie also tackles the issue of identity by providing viewers with situations pertaining to the issue of identity formation. This research aims to explore the impact of war on the transformation and reinterpretation of identity, encompassing ethnic, national, and personal ties. It achieves this by closely analyzing the experiences of the individuals involved. This paper explores the characters' reactions to the societal disruption resulting from the war, scrutinizing their efforts to navigate their sense of self amidst the presence of aggression and forced relocation. Furthermore, this study critically examines the influence of memory, trauma, and storytelling on the development of the characters' changing perception of their own identity. Through an exploration of these thematic elements, a more profound comprehension of the ways in which war may both shatter and form identities is attained, thereby illuminating the intricate nature of human experiences within periods of conflict.

A Thematic Treatment of Violence in Jeremiah Essien’s In the Shadow of Death and Adewale Ademoyega’s Why We Struck

The geographical entity called Nigeria was borne out of the amalgamation of the Northern, Southern Protectorates and the Lagos colony by Frederick Lord Lugard in 1914. Three major groups – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba were given prominence over other tribes tagged as minorities. The dissenting views of the populace and extreme flamboyance of the First Republic political class and riot in the then Western Region led to the first military coup d’état in Nigeria on January 15, 1966, a counter coup on July 29, 1966, of all which culminated into a full-blown Civil War which was waged for 30 months between July 1967 and January 1970. Against this background, this paper attempts to put forward the thematic preoccupations of torture, imprisonment and murder in Essien’s In the Shadow of Death and Ademoyega’s Why We Struck. These themes form the kernel of punishment which was meted out to the coup conspirators of January 15, 1966 and undue sufferings of some minority groups in the Biafran enclave. Both books are memoirs written in the first person narrative technique as the writers lived as participants prior to, during and after the Biafran War.

The Biafra Story in Film: An Appraisal of Biyi Bandele’s &lt;i&gt;Half of a Yellow Sun&lt;/i&gt;

Diverse scholarly and artistic expressions in book form and documentary films have been employed to document the story of the Nigerian Civil War by persons who were actively or peripherally involved in the events surrounding it. Attempts at telling the story have been coloured by different factors like military, political, ethno religious and egocentric considerations. This study examined the war's account through Biyi Bandele’s Half of a Yellow Sun, a filmic adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s novel with the same title. Using qualitative content analysis method and grounded on the Trauma and Cinema Theory, the study examined the film’s representation of historical facts and how such perspectives may have been received. The film's reception by the Nigerian cinema audience and government through the cinema regulatory authority were examined. The study concluded that the suppression of critical historical facts in the film through censorship represents the unwillingness of the government to allow for citizen conversation, which the film could provoke and which may lead to proper closure and possibly lay to rest, the ghost of the fratricidal war that almost ripped the country apart between July 1967 and January 1970.

The Biafra Lobby: international civil society patronage in the Biafran secession conflict, 1967–70

ABSTRACT This article sheds light on the partisan involvement of non-state networks in secession conflicts. Building on the patron–client relations framework, it develops a concept of civil society patronage that allows zooming into the relationship between secessionist movements and their allies in international civil society. This framework is then applied to the Biafra conflict (1967–70) and the activities of the so-called ‘Biafra Lobby’ in the United States to examine the motives, instruments and impact of support. The study offers a fresh perspective on the international relations of secessionist movements and demonstrates the benefits and also the limitations of non-state support.

The Middle Belt Factor in the Nigeria-Biafra War, 1967–1975

Abstract The Middle Belt factor in the Nigeria-Biafra War is a new perspective in Nigerian historical scholarship. The intra-elite competition for power in the Middle Belt resulted in the Tiv revolts of the early 1960s which eroded the legitimacy of Nigeria’s post-independence government. This study is a knowledge-building effort to analyse how the pendulum of the Middle Belt politics from 1967–1975 factored the Zone’s participation in the Nigeria-Biafra War, its influence in the war-time policies, as well as the post-war policies. The thrust of this study, therefore, is to demonstrate how the Middle Belt politics shaped the success of the war and the formulation of war policies during, and after the war in Nigeria. The argument from this perspective is that the crises in the Zone precipitated the coup and subsequent events that snowballed into the war, and their cumulative contributions to the end of the war.

Framing victimhood, making war: A linguistic historicizing of secessionist discourses

Abstract As separatist yearnings resurge and gain traction in Nigeria, the agency of language and digitality in spreading dissident discourses has come under scrutiny. In this study, I investigate the linguistic-historical dimension of the Biafran movements, exploring the rhetorical frames by which the actors curate ethnic victimhood and sustain the secessionist struggle. Drawing on a corpus of memoiristic narrative of the Biafra war and digitally mediated discourses from a new Biafran movement – Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), I identify and discuss the central topoi of warspeak in both narratives across space and time. In this context, the notions of linguistic framing and atrocity propaganda are fruitfully integrated to analyse the range of rhetorical strategies for incentivizing the struggle and for animating its social capital. While both narratives draw on shared belongings, historical precedents, cultural frameworks, and atrocity stories for incitement, they vary in style and audience. I attribute the shifts to changes in actors’ demographics, discursive contexts, and Nigeria’s ethnopolitical cartographies.

Neo-Imperial Cold War? Biafra's Franco-African Arms Triangle

AbstractDuring the Nigerian Civil War, France became the main supplier of military assistance to the secessionist Biafra. In a neo-imperial pursuit to weaken the potential regional hegemon Nigeria, it secretly provided arms and ammunition to the Biafrans in collusion with Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon. Yet the driving force behind this Franco-African arms triangle was not the Elysée, but the Ivorian president Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Newly unearthed documentary evidence from French archives enables this article to break new historiographical ground: firstly, to show the Elysée's sheer reluctance to militarily assist Biafra and lack of a coherent policy in doing so; secondly, to confirm Houphouët-Boigny as the “mastermind” behind the arming of Biafra, as well as to identify his Cold War motivations; thirdly, to uncover Gabonese president Omar Bongo's increasing agency and influence in the scheme; fourthly, to demonstrate that it was the Ivorian and Gabonese presidents who transformed the arms triangle into a square by bringing the Rhodesians and, especially, the South Africans in; and, finally, to retrace the emergence and functioning of the “African-French” military assistance to Biafra at the policy level not only from Paris's, but also Abidjan's and Libreville's perspectives.

Understanding Colonialism and Identity Categories by Building on Cognitive and Affective Science

Abstract Complex, historical events such as the Nigerian Civil War emerge from countless, partially converging causes. In order to make cognitive and emotional sense of such events, novelists, filmmakers, and other storytellers stress a limited number of such causes. One central source of the antagonisms driving the Nigerian Civil War was the operation of sub-national identity categorization. Adichie (in the original novel) and Bandele (in his film adaptation) both treat such categorization, but it is more systematically and consistently developed by the latter. This is closely connected with some of the key changes that Bandele undertakes in his adaptation. After a discussion of identity categorization, ethnocentrism, racism, and “tribalism,” this article examines three key sections of the film in relation to identity categorization and their associated, political implications.

Pollyannaish Attitude of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Towards Her Growth in Writing Career

This paper focus on the traumatic experience of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie faced in her childhood and how she invites the optimistic behavior in her life and career, even though she was a victim of Biafra war. Optimistic attitude helps to perceive her career as a writer and also promote drastic growth in her writing field .She includes colonial impact from westerns and their influence showcased in her works. In the process of searching her identity as a writer, she explore her nation’s pride. By her life experience she insist that there is no single story for anyone, everybody’s life is different from other people’s perspective .She strongly believe that optimistic inner thought of one’s mind leads and motivate them to succeed their life and career. Adichie oppose the colonizers mindset about her nation and impoverished state and also grateful for western literature, because of the western influence she came to know her Nigerian literature. There were immense unfavorable situation she encounters in her writing career and she overcame that only because of the optimistic vision in her thought

American Defender of One Nigeria: James Meredith, the Nigerian Civil War and the Politics of American Intervention in the Global South

Following the Biafran allegations of genocide against the Nigerian government during the Civil War, pro-Biafran groups emerged in the United States to pressure the American government into political intervention in the form of recognizing the Biafran republic. In response, African-American Civil Rights hero James Meredith counter-balanced the pro-Biafran groups, and advocated for one Nigeria in the United States. By analyzing public speech, correspondences, fact-finding mission reports, congressional hearing testimonies, and oral interviews, this paper examines Meredith’s pro-One Nigeria (Pan-African) activism during the Nigerian Civil War, and promotes a nuanced understanding of the international dimension of the Nigerian Civil War. This study proposes an episode of transnational history of the global black liberation movement of the long sixties, and demonstrates that Meredith’s pro-one Nigeria activism during the Nigerian Civil War was influenced by his background as a Civil Rights leader and his pan-African ideology.

‘Only a tree stands still to be cut down’: discoursing legitimation in narratives of the Nigeria-Biafra war and the IPOB movement (1967 to present)

ABSTRACT At sixty years, the Biafran movement has evolved, with actors and narratives shaped by new demographics, discourse modalities, and ideologies. While its most compelling leaders – Ojukwu and Kanu — share a secessionist goal, Kanu’s rhetoric is widely perceived as diverging from his forebear’s. With frameworks in discourse studies, I explore wide-ranging topoi of legitimation in Ojukwu’s chronicles of the Nigeria-Biafra war, and a corpus ofliberationist narratives by Kanu, leader of the present-day IPOB. I show that the resurged movement remains a clone of the old, united by insurrectionism and the various propagandist tools that have become indexical of the secessionist struggle.