As today marks the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Biafra War in Nigeria, this is a
throwback photo of the leader of the breakaway Republic of Biafra, Colonel Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu popularly known as ‘Ikemba’ reading a speech as he
declared the independence of Biafra on May 30th, 1967.
Following the declaration, in July 1967, the head of Nigeria’s military government,
General Yakubu Gowon declared war and attacked Biafra for 30 months.
After three years of non-stop fighting, in fear of being assassinated, General
Odumegwu-Ojukwu in 1970 handed over
power to his second in command, Major-
General Philip Effiong and traveled to Ivory
Coast where he was in exile for 13 years.
In 1982, the Federal Government of Nigeria
under President Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari
granted an official pardon to Odumegwu-
Ojukwu and opened the road for a
triumphant return for him.
He contested as a presidential candidate
three times under his party, All Progressives
Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost. Until his
illness, he remained the party leader.
Ojukwu died in a London Hospital in 2011,
at the age of 78.
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