1967-1970: the Republic of Biafra
On 30 May 1967, Ojukwu declared Biafra's secession, triggering the Nigerian Civil War.[1]
Biafra surrendered on 13 January 1970 after a war and blockade with widely cited deaths exceeding one million.[2]
· Declaration
Declaration of the Republic of Biafra, 1967
Nigeria's Eastern Region seceded as the Republic of Biafra, triggering the Nigerian Civil War.
· Other
Biafran surrender, 1970
Biafra surrendered after a war and blockade that caused widely cited deaths exceeding one million.
2012-present: IPOB
Nnamdi Kanu founded IPOB in 2012, a distinct movement seeking restoration of Biafran independence.[3]
Kanu was convicted on terrorism-related charges in November 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment, a conviction under appeal.[4]
· Legal decision
Conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, 2025
IPOB's founder was convicted on terrorism charges and sentenced to life imprisonment, a conviction his defence has contested.
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: Following a January 1966 military coup and subsequent political crisis, Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the secession of Nigeria's former Eastern Region, populated principally by the Igbo people, as the Republic of Biafra on 30 May 1967.
- Biafra (Encyclopaedia Britannica) link, Secession declaration section. Source record
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2.
Claim: The Nigerian Civil War (also called the Biafran War) was fought between July 1967 and January 1970 after Nigeria's federal government, led by General Yakubu Gowon, launched a full-scale invasion of Biafra on 6 July 1967; a Nigerian naval blockade that restricted food, medical supplies and weapons contributed to severe humanitarian consequences, with total deaths from combat and the resulting famine widely cited as exceeding one million, a figure presented here as a commonly cited estimate rather than an independently verified count. Biafra surrendered on 13 January 1970, and Nigeria reincorporated the territory.
- Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) (BlackPast.org) link, War course, blockade and surrender sections. Source record
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3.
Claim: The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist movement distinct from the historical 1967-1970 Republic of Biafra, was founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu, advocating for the restoration of an independent Biafran state in southeastern Nigeria; it has drawn substantial, predominantly Igbo support across states including Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi, and is described as the largest contemporary Biafran independence organisation.
- Nnamdi Kanu (Wikipedia) link, IPOB founding section. Source record
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4.
Claim: In November 2025, a Nigerian court convicted Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism-related charges centred on broadcasts from Radio Biafra that prosecutors argued incited violence against security forces and civilians, sentencing him to life imprisonment; Kanu's defence team has contested the conviction, arguing it relied on legislation they say had been repealed, and IPOB has called for an expedited appeal and questioned the continued legal basis for his detention. This bundle presents both the conviction and the contested legal arguments as attributed positions, not as adjudicated by this bundle.
- IPOB questions continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu (Vanguard News) link, Conviction and contested appeal sections. Source record
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/biafra/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.