My father told me that the war proper broke up in 1967. Please I want us to take note of the word " PROPER " this word proper here to me means there was something on ground before the final outburst of the war in the year 1967 exactly 50 years now. There was agitations, protests, a cry of marginalisation, a national compulsory retirement of top Igbo men in the key positions in the military and government, a look alike of OPERATION PYTHON DANCE II armed Nigerian army deployed to watch and maintain order in the Eastern region. So all these and many more was what they saw before the war proper.

CHUKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU was the then NNAMDI KANU. My father said he was a diehard follower of OJUKWU, OJUKWU was his lord, he doesn't like reading any newspaper that OJUKWU was not captioned in. My father was then in his mid 20s anyway, and had an Elementry Certificate hence he was able to read and write then.

He said it was first of all a state of emergency in all the Eastern regions but things tensed up more n more and war broke up and all the Eastern region was held captive no one was able to go out or come in into the states, people thought it was a child's play until one week passed, two, three, six, one year up until 3 good years before BIAFRAN soldiers SURRENDERED n seek peace and reconciliation.

My father said that within this 3 years that everything human being use for survival was banned from the Eastern region ranging from Nigerian currency, food, meat, clothes, power supply, petrol, toiletries, weapons. In fact, all the routes to the Igbo states was closed down. And our people were left to die in starvation and hunger and that was why Kwashorkor set in that those war bullets did not reach Kwashorkor killed them.

He said that Nigerian armies were armed to their tooth with the largest world's supports, that it was only very few countries and charity organisations that supported Biafrans. That many countries that Biafrans "thought" would support them didn't show up when the agitations escalated into war. Biafrans surrendered because of frustration n exhaustation. My father recounted that there blood of young igbo men everywhere like that of abattoir on the streets. All the structures/ investment in the Eastern region was burnt to ashes. Schools, markets, churches, houses were burnt to dust. Nigerian army slaughtered n ate Biafran people like suya. They killed igbo men who were their prime target until men went into extinction. our women were widowed, mothers n young women were raped and taken away as sex slaves in the barracks.

Mothers ran without remembering they had suckling children, even those who were passionate enough to carry their babies, elders strangled those babies when they begin to cry dur to the fear that their cries would implicate them from their hiding places. I don't know if we truly understand this trauma?

The world estimated that over 2 million igbo people died during the Biafran war but my father would always say each time he hears of this figure "O bu tee onye nann nwuru" translation...it's even only one person that died. My father will sit down at a go n count up to 300 men from his kindred (umunna) who followed the war. He has their names, the dates they left without returning back. His immediate younger brother (uncle) Mathias left one morning n never came back, his corpse nobody saw. May his soul rest in peace.all these facts will convince all of us that his estimate is far more than what was recorded. Many communities were totally wiped out with no trace of human being again after the war in Abia, Aba, Anambra, imo, Enugu he said had a small advantage because of its proximity to Kogi state, some of their Kogi neighbours n friends absorbed them into their communities n families.

Wives n under aged girl children were given to Nigerian soldiers to appease their anger if they came n no food to give them. Our people lived in the bushes n forests for 3 years, with no clothe on, they ate raw casava like goat, under trees became their palace. All these soldiers we are calling baboons n monkeys did all of these to our parents 50 years ago. 98% of Nigerian soldiers from Eastern region never returned home after the war till today.

Brothers and sisters from the East, with this little and undetailed stories my father told me we would be able to convince ourselves the Igbos would have been the most populated humans in this part of the world and that Biafra war did more harm than good to our people. Our men were assassinated with their dreams and aspiration untapped.

Now we the remnants of Biafran war are trying to forget the past and move on with the scars n pains the war caused our parent...some persons emerged from the street again to chant war songs, each time I log in on Facebook I see dead bodies, blood, bruised people, my people in Aba, Abia swimming in a dirty floods. I hereby, beg my brothers n sister on the streets of Aba, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu to please leave the the roads, enter into your closets face the wall and cry to chukwu Okike Abiama on whatever marginalisation you think we are facing, we are all feeling the pains, the world has seen your tears and pains. It's enough! Let God n the blood of those who died in the past fight the remaining battles. It doesn't make sense if tomorrow your dream Biafra comes and you didn't live to see it.

Another thing I want to bring to our consciousness is that OJUKWU did not die, he was flown to exile, he died 4 years ago and was given a National burial but 2milllion Igbo men died in the war. So also if war erupts now Nnamdi Kanu will not die he would be flown back to London where he is a citizen, the only place he would be seeing you and I die is on Aljazera or BBC. You n I will have no place to hide, we don even have money to do papers, the Little things we had been able to put back in order after the war would be destroyed again, think about our houses, businesses, certificates, our factories in Aba, our stocks in onitsha main market, all will be burnt to ashes and your sisters, mothers anties n I would be taken into captive for sex.

Martin Luther Jr was in his room when he wrote "I have a dream" he had only his pen n paper. And he was able to liberate Black Americans from generational slavery. Let us shun war, seek dialogue, peace and love. Igbos are known to be wise... the firs war didn't favour us and I doubt if this one smelling will if it eventually breaks up. We can't afford to make the same mistakes again. Nigeria Army have all the weapons for war, Biafra don't have.

Let's think peace, let's think dialogue, let's think mediation. Biafra can come without war if we so wish.
I love all of us and I want us to survive.
Joy Chioma Ugwu.

Lol

Peace

deepwater:
Lol

U mean a war story is funny?

The bizzare thing about this agitation is that no single provision had been made for ammunition n food, this basics lead to the downfall of Biafra. It is even more lacking in this Kanu led agitation. Very minimal thorough bread Igbo military personnel from all cadre which was reliable & readily available in Ojukwu's agitation. KANU simply had no idea what he was toying with. If cabal can be manipulating an elected president I wonder how hard it would be to deal with Kanu.

I once argued with my Igbo neighbour about Kanu and Biafra and explained Kanu lacks the intelligence to carry this agitation to a conclusive end. This is very easy to tell all one need do is compare his approach to that of renowned agitations like Mandela, Ghandi etc. Tthis types of agitation need all the possible support he can get but he does the exact opposite condemning those their support are or will be crucial.

I told him like Buhari Kanu does not exhibit the intelligence that can sustain the cause but the difference is Buhari surrounded himself with the intelligia that can at least support if they lack intelligence but does Kanu know this mirage does not have to start n end with him ? He argued he does that Kanu circled himself with league of intelligent men and he is one of them, in fact he claim they formulate policies which Kanu should adhere to etc.

If true those people should formulate a response to the action by the governors their response will determine if there are any intelligence to Kanu's Biafra agitation. The proscription by the FG and governors are mere measure at emasculating the agitation and possibly curtail Kanu growing influence, it is left for Kanu to prove how dynamic, tactical n versatile his agitation is. How well he does this will determine the success of the agitation.

violence has never been and will never be the way

Op don't worry this time around is WAR

back then it is genocide or pogrom not war








the two parties will bear arms

This long-winded crap will garner no sympathy for you and your ilk.

You people started the civil war 50 years ago. You people killed northern leaders for no damn reason 50 years ago.

Now you people want to tread the same path again because obviously the lessons of your history has been drowned by your inherent hatred for the northern fulani and hausa muslim.

And now you've also started killing northerns in your midst. Later when we flex our muscle you'll run to the UN crying genocide over a crisis your malcontent and malfeasance triggered.

Let's go to the root cause of your discontent: political marginalization.

Good.

Come out and contest general elections. Test your numerical strength and your self-acclaimed wealth.

Because this is a democracy.

No one is going to hand you the presidency on a platter of gold simply because you're igboes, or because you're victims of your own tragedy.

At the same time, you cannot talk of marginalization AND violent secession in the same breath.

Political participation in Nigeria and violent secession from Nigeria are mutually exclusive.

I just pity innocent souls that will go for this struggle