https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21730658-old-resentments-are-starting-simmer-once-more-biafran-separatists-are-gaining

Biafran separatists are gaining support, 50 years after the civil war

Old resentments are starting to simmer once more


Print edition | Middle East and Africa
Oct 26th 2017 | UMUAHIA
DOORS hang off their hinges. Cupboards have been emptied onto floors, walls and windows are pitted with what appear to be bullet holes. A statue of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a Nigerian separatist group, is missing a hand and an arm. Mr Kanu’s family compound in Umuahia, the sleepy capital of Abia state in south-eastern Nigeria, was raided by soldiers on September 14th. His brother, Emmanuel, claims 28 people were killed and says he has not heard from Mr Kanu since. The army denies the raid even happened. Meanwhile Mr Kanu, who was charged with conspiracy to commit treason two years ago, failed to attend a bail hearing on October 17th.

His disappearance illustrates how the unhealed wounds of Nigeria’s brutal civil war have been reopened in recent years. That conflict, which was fought between the breakaway Republic of Biafra and the Nigerian state, resulted in the loss of almost a million lives between 1966 and 1970. Separatist sentiment, which lay largely dormant since then, has started to simmer again, as people with no memory of the war have come of age and been seduced by the idea that the region is not getting its fair share of spending.


Helping to fuel that anger is Radio Biafra (named after the original republic’s station), which was relaunched by Mr Kanu and has pumped propaganda to Nigeria from its London base since 2012.

Yet separatism has also been fuelled by the deadly response of the Nigerian army to even the slightest hint of resurgent nationalism among the Igbo, one of the country’s three main ethnic groups, who live predominantly in the south-east and formed the core of Biafran separatism. The army has shot and killed protesting IPOB supporters on several occasions. It is not clear how many supporters IPOB has, but Mr Kanu attracted huge crowds to his family residence after his release on bail in April (despite the bail conditions stipulating he should not hold rallies or be seen in a crowd of over ten people).


The government has resorted to an even firmer hand. In August Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president and a stern former military dictator, said that “Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable.” In September the government sent in the army on “Operation Python Dance II”, which sought to tackle “violent agitations by secessionist groups, among other crimes”. One of its first acts was to attack an office in Abia belonging to the Nigerian Union of Journalists and to smash reporters’ equipment. The government also declared IPOB a terrorist organisation. The group says it is not violent.

The government’s response may, however, be feeding the resentment that first led to an upsurge of support for IPOB among Nigeria’s Igbo. “It was as if the approach of the government labelled every Igbo man a member of IPOB,” says Sam Hart, an adviser to Abia’s governor (who is from the main opposition party).

The perception of the army as a northern institution, and the fact Mr Buhari is from the north (there has not been an Igbo head of state since the military government of Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi in 1966), has compounded many Igbos’ feelings of alienation. Many also refer to comments made by Mr Buhari in 2015, when he said that constituencies that gave him 5% of the vote (mainly those in the south-east) cannot expect the same treatment as those that gave him 97%.

The army may have cut off the head of the Biafran separatist snake for now. But until Nigeria cleans up its public finances so that its various ethnic groups can see how much money it raises, and where it is spent, resentments will simmer and the appeal of Biafra will remain.

Has the whole world gone mad, I had to read this publication twice becos I thought it was another one of IPOB propaganda network, but hell no, this is the Economists. An Internationally renowned magazine. lalasticlala

You see.....

According to Sarrki,Madridboy and other notorious zonBs,the writers and editors of the economist are IPAD YEWTS

Take your time and read..

Oyibo don break am into Naira and Kobo.

" Only the ignorant ones think that Biafra is dead.

6 or 10 years from the year Kanu was attacked, Nigerians will be forced to answer the Igbo question and the continual existence of a Nigeria that includes the Igbos.

Take note of this. "




My personal text being reechoed by the Economist.


There is a Spirit behind Biafra whose aura is freedom.

IPOB lives on.

I said yesterday in my previous post and i repeat; IPOB cannot be stopped. Biafra is not going anywhere.


Worldwide.

dokiOloye:
According to Sarrki,Madridboy and other notorious zonBs,the writers and editors of the economist are IPAD YEWTS

letusbepieces:
I said yesterday in my previous post and i repeat;

IPOB cannot be stopped. Biafra is not going anywhere.

Worldwide.

Bullets, bombs & weapons can't stop the rise of Biafra as long as Nigerians remain insincere about the Igbo question.

tunjion:
Has the whole world gone mad, I had to read this publication twice becos I thought it was another one of IPOB propaganda network, but hell no, this is the Economists. An Internationally renowned magazine. lalasticlala

the report said that Buhari is a Stern wicked military dictator.

EternalTruths:
" Only the ignorant ones think that Biafra is dead.

6 or 10 years from the year Kanu was attacked, Nigerians will be forced to answer the Igbo question and the continual existence of a Nigeria that includes the Igbos.

Take note of this. "




My personal text being reechoed by the Economist.


There is a Spirit behind Biafra whose aura is freedom.

IPOB lives on.

IPOB and biafla only lives on Nairaland

GameGod:

IPOB and biafla only lives on Nairaland

This was your exact words in 2015, before u see am with ur two naked eyes on every street in the SS/SE.

That was how u said Nnamdi Kanu wont return but he did. Held rally in front of your coward army.

The Oyinbo are not pregnant like u, so there is no emotion in their reasoning, wat they wrote down is the undiluted facts.

EternalTruths:



Bullets, bombs & weapons can't stop the rise of Biafra as long as Nigerians remain insincere about the Igbo question.

Ask urself if since 2010, we have been hearing Nigeria Army kill 200 boko haram till date, Boko Haram never finish, can operation Python dance wipe IPOB?

All that exercise did was drive them to pick up arms, wen dey eventually resurface, Nigeria Army should be ready to defend themselves.

No one can stop an idea whose time is come.

this will not make front page, I have a feeling it won't.

the mods are scared because they support the killing of innocent people and the suppression of igbos just to support that their secessionist thread that appears on the political section.

MyNewJackeT:
this will not make front page, I have a feeling it won't.

the mods are scared because they support the killing of innocent people[b] and the suppression of igbos [/b] just to support that their secessionist thread that appears on the political section.

Fact! It is a yoruba thing. Na dem site.

Who says Biafra or IPOB is gone?

It is an ideology and can't be stop with brut force.

Nonsense! Anywhere Biafra rears its ugly head, the python is sure to come squeeze the life out of her. IPOB has forever been crushed

GoroTango:
Nonsense! Anywhere Biafra rears its ugly head, the python is sure to come squeeze the life out of her. IPOB has forever been crushed

Actually, the west think IPOB gained more recognition and support, to the extent that US and UK not only OPENLY denounce Nigeria Army but put some distance from Buhari government.

vengertime:
the report said that Buhari is a Stern wicked military dictator.

I just tire. I actually thought i was reading IPOB publication, very anti Buhari.

Is Buhari and the UK/US fighting?Wen their fight start?

In Biafra I Stand!

Cc oladeebo, omenka

letusbepieces:




Ask urself if since 2010, we have been hearing Nigeria Army kill 200 boko haram till date, Boko Haram never finish, can operation Python dance wipe IPOB?

All that exercise did was drive them to pick up arms, wen dey eventually resurface, Nigeria Army should be ready to defend themselves.

When we accomplish the main stuff, Nigerians supporting brute force will melo down.

letusbepieces:


Fact! It is a yoruba thing. Na dem site.

That is not the fact. Fact is, yorubas are dead scared of having Igbos gone and leaving them independent and alone in this rough world. Another fact is that we understand and would consider but they prefer scheming with hausafulani to kill and suppress my people to have us together than normal round table agreement.

They thought killing us Will stop us but no we just gained world sympathy.

GameGod:

IPOB and biafla only lives on Nairaland

Why naaa

[s]

Pedrop:




That is not the fact. Fact is, yorubas are dead scared of having Igbos gone and leaving them independent and alone in this rough world. Another fact is that we understand and would consider but they prefer scheming with hausafulani to kill and suppress my people to have us together than normal round table agreement.

[/s]Xup, has popsy given you your own share of the pension buhari paid him?

Buhari did not handle this biafra of a thing well.