Nigerian Civil War

The colonial amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 combined the Northern Protectorate, Lagos Colony, and Southern Nigeria Protectorate, leading to tensions due to cultural and religious differences among the diverse population.

A group of army majors, led by Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna, execute Nigeria's first military coup which ended the First Republic. The coup plotters were mostly Igbo and the victims included Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and other northerners.

On January 16, 1966, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was declared Head of State of Nigeria. Despite his efforts in suppressing a coup, his Igbo ethnicity fueled suspicions in the northern region that the coup aimed to eliminate their political influence.

In July 1966, northern soldiers staged a counter-coup, killing Aguiyi-Ironsi and many other high-ranking Eastern officers, leading to the emergence of Yakubu Gowon as Head of State.

From June to October 1966, pogroms in the North resulted in the killing of an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 Igbos, leading to a mass exodus of over a million to two million to the Eastern Region. The massacre on September 29, 1966, known as 'Black Thursday', was considered the worst day of the violence.

On January 4-5, 1967, General Gowon and his military governors held a meeting with eastern Nigerian leaders in Aburi, Ghana, in an attempt to prevent a civil war.

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, concluded on January 15, 1970, marking the end of the conflict between the Nigerian government and the secessionist state of Biafra.

On May 27, 1967, Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon proclaimed the division of Nigeria into twelve states, which included carving the Eastern Region into three parts: South Eastern State, Rivers State, and East Central State, affecting the control over petroleum resources.

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, started with the secession of the southeastern region as the Republic of Biafra in 1967. The conflict lasted for three years and resulted in a death toll of over one million people.

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, began on July 6, 1967, when Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra engaged in a civil war following Biafra's declaration of independence.

Federal forces captured the ocean oil terminal at Bonny on July 25, 1967, leading to the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson deciding to back Nigeria with military aid during the Nigerian Civil War.

Colonel Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu, the leader of the breakaway Republic of Biafra, stands in front of a Biafra flag as he addresses a press conference in Enugu in 1967.

Operation Tiger Claw was a military conflict between Nigerian and Biafran forces, with Nigerians invading Calabar led by Benjamin Adekunle and Biafrans led by Col. Ogbu Ogi and Lynn Garrison.

In October 1967, Nigerian federal army soldiers survey a police checkpoint on the west bank of the Niger River at Asaba, from where they launched an amphibian offensive on Biafra during the Biafran war.

In November 1967, a Nigerian federal army soldier points to a sign in Calabar, the oldest port on the West African coast, after the federal troops took the city from the Biafran rebellion during the Biafran war.

Port Harcourt was captured by Nigerian forces, solidifying Federal supremacy in the war.

The government of the Republic of Biafra issues a statement highlighting the worsening conditions in Biafra and appealing for international assistance.

On July 12, Nigerian forces captured the Biafran town of Garkem as part of their initial attack. This event was a strategic move in the early stages of the Nigerian Civil War.

On July 14, Nigerian forces captured the Biafran town of Nsukka as part of their initial attack. This event marked the beginning of the conflict between Nigeria and Biafra.

On August 21, Biafran forces were stopped near the town of Ore, 130 miles east of Lagos, by Nigerian troops. This marked a significant point in the conflict as the Biafran retaliation was halted.

An article in Paris Match published on November 20, 1968, disclosed that French arms were reaching Biafra through neighboring countries like Gabon. This revelation shed light on the international involvement in the Nigerian Civil War.

In the midst of the Nigerian Civil War, Pele's Santos team played a match in Benin City which led to a temporary ceasefire. The war, also known as the Biafra War, was halted for the game to take place, showcasing the power of football in bringing people together even in times of conflict.

A Red Cross aircraft is attacked and brought down while attempting to deliver relief supplies to Biafra, leading to the suspension of further air deliveries by the Red Cross.

With increased British support, the Nigerian federal forces launched their final offensive against the Biafrans on 23 December 1969. The 3rd Marine Commando Division, commanded by Col. Olusegun Obasanjo, successfully split the Biafran enclave into two by the end of the year.

On December 24, 1969, federal troops initiated a major offensive against Biafra, leading to the beginning of the final collapse of the Biafran republic. This event ultimately marked the end of the Republic of Biafra.

On January 7, 1970, Nigerian forces initiated Operation Tail-Wind, a military offensive that swiftly captured Owerri and Uli within 5 days during the Nigerian Civil War.

On January 11, 1970, Biafran leader Ojukwu fled to Côte d’Ivoire as federal troops closed in, signaling the impending defeat of Biafra in the Nigerian Civil War.

On January 12, 1970, Biafra officially announces its surrender, marking the end of the struggle for independence.

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafra War, concluded on January 13, 1970, after two and a half years of conflict between the secessionist Biafra Republic and the Nigerian federal government.

The surrender paper was signed on 14 January 1970 in Lagos, officially marking the end of the Nigerian Civil War. This event led to the cessation of hostilities and the beginning of the reunification process.

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, concluded on January 15, 1970, marking the end of the conflict between Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra.

The creation of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in December 1971 was influenced by the visible overseas conflict that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people due to starvation. The organization was established by a group of health professionals who disagreed with the actions taken during the civil war.

The book titled 'The International Politics of the Nigerian Civil War' was published in 1977.

In 1999, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) was founded by Indian-trained lawyer, Ralph Uwazuruike.

On 29 May 2000, former president Olusegun Obasanjo commuted to retirement the dismissal of military personnel who fought for the breakaway Republic of Biafra during Nigeria's 1967–1970 civil war, citing the need for justice to be tempered with mercy.

In September 2006, Chimamanda Adichie's novel 'Half of a Yellow Sun' is published.

On November 26, 2011, Ojukwu dies in the United Kingdom after a brief illness, aged 78.

Establishment of the separatist movement led by Nnamdi Kanu, advocating for the independence of Biafra and reigniting discussions about self-determination in Nigeria.

The Biafran War Memories project was created in 2016 to remember the events of the Nigerian civil war and the harm suffered by the victims.

The paper discusses the importance of memory, reconciliation, and peacebuilding in southeastern Nigeria after the civil war. It explores the challenges and strategies for promoting peace and unity in the region.

Escalation of tensions between IPOB and the Nigerian government, leading to violent clashes and declarations of a 'second Nigeria/Biafra war'. The crisis highlighted ongoing struggles for autonomy and identity.