For a few weeks now, agitations for the
emancipation of the Biafran people have been going on in states within
the southeastern region of Nigeria. Some are of the believe that there
are mere protests, however, there are reasons to think twice.
A closer look at historical facts, especially those related to the
Biafra war which took place between 1967 and 1970, gives an insight as
to why the ongoing protests for Biafra must not be taken lightly.
If you ever thought light of the issue, then take a second look at
these photos and you will see reasons why the wave of Biafra protests is
a big deal.
Radio Biafra
Those who are conversant with history will recall that the Biafra war
was not just fought on the battle field, the media played a very great
role in fueling and shaping the course of the conflict.
It was through the radio that both Nigerian and Biafran factions
passed information about the progress of the war, lands lost and grounds
reclaimed. It was over the radio that the soldiers’ spirits were
buoyed.
Never forget that the radio could be a very great tool for propaganda. It is amazing what messages can be passed over the waves!
Arrest Of Biafra Zionists
The Biafrans gave the excuse of being marginalised, brutally dealt
with, especially in the North. The arrest of twelve supposed Biafra
Zionists has proven to be one of the cause of provocation.
This excuse alongside that of the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, the Radio
Biafra director, gave a rise to the current wave of agitations rocking
the eastern part of the country.
There is also speculation of the corpses that were seen floating on the Ezu River in Anambra state.
Biafra Protests In Foreign Lands
One great ploy by any people looking to secede is to draw the
attention of the international community, this is one joker which the
current Biafra activists are playing.
There have been protests across Europe, Asia, America and other
continents, the Biafra activists are looking to get the United Nation’s
attention on the issue.
They are trying to win the sympathy of the international community, a move that will really count if the attention is won.
Biafra National Identifiers
There must be symbols to identify a group of people as sovereign,
hence the Biafran symbols and the national identifiers is the thing to
take seriously.
It would be recalled that in the civil war Biafrans had their own currency and traded with it to a great extent.
The production of Biafra currency, flags, passports and emblems are
the symbols that say a lot about the current protests. They give reasons
to take the people more seriously and resolve the issue while it has
not gone out of hand.
Violent Protests
Initially, the protests by the Biafra activists were all peaceful
marches across streets and cities, now there are reports of people being
injured and some ending up dead. This is a sign that these agitations
might escalate, especially if certain demands by the protesters are not
met, the demands like the release of the Radio Biafra director, Nnamdi Kanu.
A recent protest by Biafra activists, which was held in Onitsha, saw the lock down of the Niger bridge,
a case that quickly brings to mind that the bridge in question was
blown-up in 1967 to stop the Nigerian troops from entering the Biafra
territory during the civil war.
Many historians claim that the demolition of the bridge which links
Asaba was a major setback to the federal troops’ incursion into the
Biafran territory until the war ended in January 1970.
Conscription Of Biafra Agitators
Most stories told about the Biafra war relayed how most Igbo people
and many from the eastern region were conscripted into the Biafran army.
The stories narrate how the Biafran army held camps in schools
compounds and church buildings, training the recruits to shoot with
carved sticks.
The photos below show a similar trait, however, they only show a
conscription into a Biafra agitator group, no gun training yet. However,
it all forms a pattern, the circle goes on, giving the cause for the
nation to take these protests serious.
The Biafra Army
In October 2015 there was a video which showed Nnamdi Kanu, the Radio
Biafra director, soliciting for arms at an Igbo conference which was
held in the United States.
They say there is no smoke without a fire, thus, if Kanu was seeking
arms to fight Nigeria, then that might be linked to rumours that the
Biafra army is currently being prepared.
The pictures of various people clad in uniforms supposedly belonging
to the Biafra army, might seem like some child’s play, however, the
fruit does not fall too far from the tree.
Until we know for certain that these rumours are speculation indeed,
then we have a reason to worry that there may be great threats to the
peace of Nigeria.
The pictures below are very cogent reasons why the Biafra protests and agitations must not be taken lightly.
Here are some other photos posted on social media which give more
reasons why the Biafra protests in the southeastern region of Nigeria
must be given a proper attention.
The agitation for the liberation of Biafra continues, as both members
of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), take their protest into Imo state on Thursday, November 12.
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