The Biafran Civil War: Did the Igbos Get What They Deserved?
For over 50 years, there has bee
n lots of speculation about the treatment the Igbos received during the 1966-1970 civil war also known as the Biafran war.
The entire eastern region lost about 3.1 million people which at that time was about one-quarter of the entire region's population.
To date, many have argued that the Civil war wasn't a war but a planned genocide to annihilate the entire Igbo race, to some others, if the Rwandan and Darfur crises could be seen as genocide, then the first act of genocide in post-colonial Africa should be the Biafran war.
Before we go back to our main question, let us discuss the immediate causes of the war for a better perspective.
We were made to understand that the war was a result of the:
A military coup led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna led to the death of 22 Snr Military officers who lost their lives alongside their wives.
Other conspirators wereÂ
Maj. Timothy Onwuatuegwu.
Maj. Chris Anuforo.
Maj. Don Okafor.Â
Maj. Adewale Ademoyega.
Maj. Humphrey Chukwuka
Capt. Emmanuel Nwobosi.
Capt. Ben Gbulie.
Capt. Ogbu Oji.
Major General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi seized power and the northerners felt betrayed by Aguiyi who failed to bring the conspirators to book, Aguiyi was further accused of favoring the Igbos.
The counter-coup led by Lt Col Muritala Mohammed led to the death of over 200 people of which three-quarters of them were Igbos and
The Anti-Igbo pogrom in the north in which about 8,000 to 30, 000 Igbos were killed.
The July 1966 counter-coup plotters were:
Lt. Colonel Joseph Akahan.
Lt. Colonel Murtala Muhammed.
Major Theophilus Danjuma.
Major Abba Kyari.
Major Martin Adamu.
Major Shittu Alao.
Major Musa Usman.
Captain Joseph Garba.
Captain Isa Bukar.
Captain Ibrahim Taiwo.
Captain Baba Usman.
Captain Abdul D.S. Wya.
Lieutenant Muhammadu Buhari.
Lieutenant Ibrahim Babangida.
Lieutenant Ibrahim Bako.
Lieutenant William Walbe.
Lieutenant Mamman Vatsa.
Lieutenant Buka Suka Dimka.
Lieutenant Yakubu Dambo.
Lieutenant Garba A. Dada.
Lieutenant Garba Duba.
Lieutenant Mohammed Balarabe Haladu.
Lieutenant Malami Mahe Nasarawa.Â
Lieutenant James Onoja.
Lieutenant Abdullahi Shelleng.
Lieutenant Paul Chabri Tarfa.
Lieutenant D.S. Abubakar.
Second Lieutenant Sani Abacha.
Second Lieutenant Muhammadu Gado Nasko.
Sergeant Paul Dickson.
Sergeant Sabo Kwale.
Corporal John Shagaya.
Last but not the least, the Aburi accord which Major General Gowon failed to abide by.
But if you dig further into the remote causes of the war, you will find other reasons like the;
1945 Hausa-Ibo Riot in Jos and
 1953 Hausa-Igbo riot in Kano where the Igbos were killed for no reason (nobody was brought to book) and the allegations of embezzlement made against the ruling civilian authorities at that time who were mostly Northerners
It is also worth to note Maj. Adewale Ademoyega's (one of the Jan 1966 coup plotters) statement in his book 'Why we struck", were he said;
"There was no decision at our meeting to single out any ethnic group for elimination. Our intentions were honorable, our views were national and our goals were idealistic. Even those earmarked for arrest, four were Northerners, two were Westerners and two were Easterners".
These remote causes and Ademoyega's memoir may give you a perspective into why Nzeogwu's faction was angry at the ruling authority and why the Jan 1966 coup took place.
 On the other hand, the northerners were also aggrieved, and they had every reason to be; the coup stole two of their finest and most respected figures in the persons of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, the Sardauna of Sokoto.
These murders led to a series of events that led to the northerners taking revenge on the Igbos in the north for the death of their leaders, this resulted in the killing of a large number of Igbos who lived in the North.
The Igbos were not happy, and Ojukwu wasn't happy either, they were tired of what they referred to as the 'Domination by the north and the incessant killings of the Igbos at any slight provocation or no provocation at all.Â
So they chose to secede.
The result of that decision was the destruction and confiscation of properties owned by the Igbos, sexual violence against women, and murder of men, women, and children who were mostly of eastern descent.
Over 50 years later, the turbulent waters are yet to settle.
Over the years there have been several schools of thought on why Ojukwu chose to secede, many insist that the war was due to Ojukwu's selfishness, while others argue it was a decision he made after consulting Igbo delegates so it was a necessary action while some insisted that the Igbos got what deserved.
Now, we want to know your opinion on this.
What do you think could have been done to avert this war?
Did the Igbos deserve to die that way?Â
Can Nigeria truly become a one and united democratic country?
Please share your opinion in the comment below!
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