ARE BIAFRA PROVINCES PART OF NIGERIA'S 36 STATES?

Someone came into my inbox to ask why I have failed to accept his request for a friendship which he sent long time ago. He told me that he is a Biafran.  I then asked him simple question, for which he failed to provide the answer. In fact, he gave me the wrong answer and I told him plainly that we are not going to be friends so long as he has failed the simple test. You know what he did?  He started abusing me, calling me an arrogant and over proud asshole and I looked at him and smiled. He never wanted me to explain to him why he failed my question. I told him that I am not going to block him, instead he should go back the same way he came. The next he did was to block me.

I think it's high time I put this out so as to set the records straight.

I asked that guy to tell me how many states are there in Nigeria. He said 36 states. That was absolutely a wrong answer. Nigeria is not made up of 36 states inasmuch as Biafra is concerned. So, whenever you're counting the numbers of states in Nigeria, don't ever include southeast, Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, are not part of Nigeria. They are Biafra's provinces.

Whenever someone asks you to mention the states found in Nigeria, go ahead and mention the states but count Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta and Rivers.

In the official document called ‘Introducing the Republic of Biafra’, the borders were described rather loosely. It stated that the republic stretched from the lower reaches of the Niger Delta on the West to the Obudu plateau on the East. From North to South, it laid between the 7th parallel north and the Bight of Biafra. During its brief existence, Biafra covered 77,306 square kilometres (29,848 square miles) of land.

As you can see from the map above, the territory of the republic was divided into 25 provinces;

1 Aba

2 Abakaliki

3 Agbor

4 Ahoada

5 Annang

6 Asaba

7 Awka

8 Calabar

9 Degema

10 Eket

11 Enugu

12 Ikot Ekpene

13 Nnewi

14 Ogoja

15 Oji-River

16 Okigwe

17 Onitsha

18 Orlu

19 Owerri

20 Port-Harcourt

21 Ughelli

22 Umuahia

23 Uyo

24 Warri

25 Yenegoa

The capital of the Republic of Biafra was Owerri. Today, in place of the Republic of Biafra you can find such Nigerian states as Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta and Rivers.

Although, there is some controversy over the fact that the territory of today’s Delta state has actually belonged to Biafra. Some go as far as saying that Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Cross River have never been a part of it either.

Right before the brief existence of the republic, Nigeria went from being divided into four main regions (Northern, Western, Mid-Western and Eastern) to being divided into twelve states. As events that followed happened so quickly, it is hard to say whether the Mid-Western state, which then became Bendel, and after that — Edo and Delta, has ever been a part of Biafra. This topic remains controversial to this day.

Did you know?

The republic declared its independence from Nigeria on May 30, 1967. It existed until January 15, 1970. Even during that brief time, two presidents had led the country Biafra, namely, Odumegwu Ojukwu and Philip Effiong. The latter was a president for only four days.

The name Biafra, is derived from the Bight of Biafra, which is located on the south of the republic. The literal meaning is unknown.

The ancient maps of Africa from as early as 1584 briefly mentioned Biafra. Although, back then, it was ‘Biafar’, and it included parts of today’s Cameroon.

The secession of Biafra led to the bloodiest genocide in the history of Nigeria (which Britain, through BBC, led the world to call the Nigerian Civil war), which took the lives of (estimated, at least) three million people.

Fifty (50) years have gone by and the secession movement is still alive. A lot of people consider themselves Biafrans, and there are groups like Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra [MASSOB] and Indigenous People of Biafra [IPOB] but today it is only Mazi Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB that still tries to revive the Republic of Biafra.

Next time, when someone asks you to name the states found in Nigeria, you should be able to give the correct answer, don't ever include Biafra provinces. We are a separate nation and with time, if Nigeria still exists, she will be left with not less than 10 states because I am convinced that the Oduduwa's must definitely pull out from this demonic union.

Shalom!

Written by

Victor Obinna Uzoaga

[TBRV Writer /Reporter]

For: The Biafra Restoration Voice - TBRV

Edited by

Okwunna Okongwu

For: The Biafra Restoration Voice - TBRV

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TBRV | Biafra

Published by:
Chibuike Nebeokike