No Victor, No Vanquish? Nigeria's Most Deadliest Civil War

The Biafran War was a conflict that occurred in Nigeria, specifically between the Igbo and Hausa-Fulani ethnic groups. The war was triggered by the secession of the Igbo people from Nigeria in order to establish their independent nation known as Biafra.

Conflict in Nigeria began in the early 1960s, after the country gained independence from Britain. The North, which was largely Hausa and extremely conservative in its cultural and Islamic beliefs, gained control and transformed Nigeria's government into a dictatorship.

In response, In August 1965, a group of Nigerian military officers led by General Johnson Ironsi mounted a coup against Nigeria's post-colonial government. General Ironsi seized control and worked to transform Nigeria into a better state. Unfortunately, General Ironsi's reign was cut short when Hausa-Fulani military forces led by Murtala Muhammed and Muhammadu Buhari, assassinated him in a countercoup.

After both coups, life was extremely difficult for Igbos, particularly those in the north. Pogroms were carried out against the Igbos in Nigeria. Weary of the atrocities, the late General Emeka Ojukwu led Eastern Nigerian into a breakaway state named Biafra. Intimidated by its independence, Nigeria declared civil war on Biafra.

The Biafran War was gruesome and claimed the lives of around two million eastern Nigerians. The majority of the casualties were caused by famine as a result of the Nigerian Navy's sea blockades. This move deprived Biafra of vital resources like food, medical help, and military weapons. Biafra surrendered when General Ojukwu escaped to the Ivory Coast for asylum.

Following the war, several endeavors were undertaken to rid Nigeria of its atrocities against Biafra. Leaders pushed the One Nigeria narrative and coined phrases such as "No victor, no vanquish," implying that no one was triumphant or defeated as a result of the Biafran war.

P.S. Thank you for reading this introductory post on the Biafran War. There is more to learn, but I choose to break down our lesson to keep the articles around this topic, short. We will release more content about the Biafran war in parts.