SUFFERING AND DEATH IN BIAFRA

The struggle for the Independent State of Biafra was not an easy one. It came with dire consequences. People died of hunger. Others died of diseases. Others died of gunshots and bomb blasts.

Nigeria bombarded Biafra. Biafra did same to Nigeria. Soldiers died on both sides. But Biafra was the side with the highest number of casualties. Children, men, women and the elderly died in droves.

The people of Biafra were not prepared for the war. They thus did not store up grains for the gloomy days. When the first crack of the bullets were fired at a place called Gakem, in present day Cross Rivers State, several persons in Biafra were taken by surprise. But that was war fully declared. Ojukwu fought back with his men. This journey would last for three unbroken years.

Nigeria declared a total blockade on Biafra (land, sea and air). Not a single grain of food was allowed into Biafra from Nigeria. The effect of this was something else. As soon as the existing grains in Biafra were exhausted, Biafra had no food again. Hunger became a weapon of war against Biafra and indeed, hunger killed in competition with the guns and bombs.

In his response to the blockade Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Vice Chairman of the Supreme Military Ruling Council, Chief Obafemi Awolowo is quoted to have said: “All is fair in war, and starvation is one of the weapons of war”. He added that feeding your enemy was akin to giving him strength to fight you more.

Nigeria did not back down on the blockade. Children suffered starvation and developed a strange disease called “kwashiorkor”. When pictures were taken by journalists on ground in Biafra and sent abroad, the world reacted in indignation. Charities then went into action and donated food to Biafra to lessen the suffering. There was blockade of the air too and the supply of food to Biafra by air became a challenge. Nigeria brought down a Red Cross light plane in Eket in present day Akwa Ibom. Other charities got scared and could barely help.

The Catholic charity, CARITAS became the last man standing. It invented ways to assist the beleaguered people of Biafra. Owners of cargo planes abroad refused to lease out their planes for fear of being brought down by Nigeria. History has it that Caritas released money for the purchase of new planes to enable the supply of food to Biafra. Some glimmer of hope was restored. Caritas partnered with the Republic of Gabon which allowed its airspace to be used for the transportation of food, cloths and medicines to Biafra at night. Large planes landed from time to time at Uli Airstrip and a sister airport at the risk of being brought down by missiles from the Nigerian side. The Red Cross also played a significant role in this direction. Even with these spirited efforts, food was still a challenge as the entire people in the Biafran enclave could not be effectively fed with food from charities. But the efforts of the charities remain unforgettable in the history of Biafra.

The war raged on, nonstop. It was a tale of hunger, suffering and death.

Ojukwu later left to Ivory Coast and handed over to Philip Effiong. Philip made a critical assessment of the war situation in conjunction with the remaining leaders of Biafra and came to the conclusion for surrender. Biafra was thus surrendered to Nigeria on January 15, 1970.

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