Imperialism In Nigeria

"The history of the world is a chronicle of oppression," declared General Ojukwu, an Igbo leader who fought for Biafran independence during the 1960s to the 1970s. He had to live in Nigeria during this period of oppression, which ultimately resulted in a civil war, known as the Nigeria-Biafran War. Prior to the war, Great Britain turned Nigeria into an artificial colony, consisted up of over 300 ethnic and religious groups who were shoved into one nation. The two largest and most conflicting of these groups were the Igbo and Hausa-Fulani. The Igbo, a Catholic and democratic group of people lived in the Southeastern region of Nigeria. The Hausa-Fulani, a Muslim and feudal group of people dominated the North. When Britain was in power, all of

the ethnic groups were allowed to govern themselves, but when they left, everything changed. With Britain leaving, the North rose up and obtained national power, where they established a democracy known as the Northern Federal Government. Although there were some Igbo representatives in the government, the power was held by mainly the Hausa-Fulani. With this unequal power, many different military coups, massacres, revolts, and assassinations take place due to the Igbo desiring an independent government. Eventually, in 1967, the Igbo people declare their own independent state: Biafra. War broke out due to the Hausa-Fulani attempting to prevent the secession of Biafra, and lasted for the next three years. But what were the causes of this war between the Igbo and Hausa-Fulani? The Nigerian-Biafran War, a war fought by two entirely ethnic groups, was caused by religious differences, British colonialism, and political controversies. Although British colonization of Nigeria prior to the war and religious differences are key parts to why the war occurred, the most major reason for the independence campaign of Biafra was because of political controversies in the federal government of Nigeria.
Religions differences caused the war due to the Hausa-Fulani attempt to install a Muslim state in Nigeria. The Hausa-Fulani continually oppressed the Igbo because they were Catholic, causing revolts and violence from both sides. To stop the oppression, Igbo leaders declared Biafra as their own state in order to peacefully live Catholic. For example, an article from Oxford journals states “The post-independence secular state, which seemed acceptable to the Christian/animist south, was abhorred by the Muslim north. Northern Islamists have consistently sought the establishment of an Islamic state to replace the extant secular regime.” The plan of the Hausa-Fulani is clear, which is to establish a Muslim state. Sequently, the Igbo needed to be exterminated to do so, thus leading to violent actions and terminally, war.
Religious differences also caused the war due to violent actions committed by Muslim Hausa-Fulanis against Catholic Igbos. For example, there was the 1966 Anti-Igbo Pogrom. The Pogrom was a series of massacres against the Catholic Igbos with the intent to exterminate them, which brought up claims of genocide. A total of 30,000-50,000 Igbo Catholics were slaughtered in 1966 during this Pogrom. Surrounding African countries refused to prosecute the guilty Hausa-Fulani for the slaughtering. A student named Uzoigwe who lived during the time of the massacres stated “Nor would Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirate States with whom the northern Nigerian religious and political leadership had cordial relationships support any condemnation of Nigeria. For them what was happening became nuanced as a contest between Islam and Christianity.” The war was sought out by the Hausa-Fulani due to their religious differences, as they wanted to exterminate anyone who was Christian. These series of massacres caused the Igbo to declare their own state where they wouldn’t be murdered for their religion. The Hausa-Fulani instigated many terror attacks against the Igbo and also brought up the possibility of a genocide, but it is not the most important cause of the war because political controversies showed the strive for power from the Igbo people, resulting in them declaring their own state instead of continuing to be oppressed.
British colonialism caused the Nigerian Civil War due to the creation of an artificial colony and the installation of unequal power when Britain abandoned Nigeria.

Britain came into Nigeria and combined over 300 ethnic and religious groups. They were allowed to govern themselves, but the issue was that when they left, the groups fought for political power because it was unequally given to the Hausa-Fulani. In a letter to President Nixon written by American diplomat Henry Kissinger, who was stationed in Nigeria during the war stated, “The civil war is rooted in the failure of the first generation of British- tutored politicians to make something of independence and unity.” The goal of the British was to leave Nigeria with a fair and just government, but by leaving it in the hands of the Hausa-Fulani when there are over 300 other ethnic groups doesn’t show equitable rule! With the disregardance of religion, ethnic differences, race, etc., war was bound to happen if one group was prioritized over the

rest.
British colonialism also caused the Nigerian Civil War due to the ensconcing of a corrupt democratic government. The rule of the Hausa-Fulani in the Northern Federal Government was not a real democracy. For example, a Washington State University article voiced the possibility of the effectiveness of the government.
Admittedly there was a veneer of parliamentary democracy, but rigged and corrupt voting seriously compromised democratic elections. This mean that although there were sincere attempts by well-meaning nationalist to ensure that democracy was possible, the reality was that the parliamentary system left by the British was hopelessly undemocratic and factionalised.

The Northern Federal Government created by the British after they left comprised of rigged elections in order to maintain the political power of the Hausa-Fulani. The factionalism between the Igbo and Hausa-Fulani were never solved, or put into play when Britain was in charge, so when they left it only increased the factionalism between the two groups, eventually leading to the war. British colonialism is important to the start of the war, but isn’t as important as political controversies because British colonialism didn’t directly cause the military coups for power, as political controversies did.
Lastly, political controversies was the most important cause of the Biafran War due to the two military coups that led the Igbo to declare independence. The first military coup was an Igbo plan to exterminate Hausa-Fulani political leaders, including the Prime Minister of the Federal Northern Government. An Igbo leader for independence at the time, known as General Ojukwu, believed the only way to fight back the oppression of the Hausa-Fulani in the government was to take them out. "Since oppression is maintained by force, it is only possible to remove that oppression by a counterforce." Ojukwu is saying that the only way to achieve independence and power is with war, which is what he means when he says “counterforce.” The counterforce plan, being the first military coup, was a success. The Hausa-Fulani Prime Minister and other leaders were assassinated. One of the first coup leaders, Igbo Major Ifeajuna, believed that all Hausa-Fulani politicians failed and needed to be exterminated.
Major Ifeajuna addressed the meeting on the subject of the deteriorating situation in Western Nigeria to which, he contended, the politicians had failed to find a solution. He added that as a result the entire country was heading toward chaos and disaster.

The military Major Ifeajuna and the coup believed that they needed to exterminate the political leaders in order to avoid chaos and destruction, highly motivating retaliation from the Hausa-Fulani. But, on top of that, an Igbo leader named Gown came into power as head of state. As head of state, Gowon never punished the persecutors of the first coup, infuriating the Northern community. The rise of Ironsi struck fear into the Hausa-Fulani community as he showed favoritism to Igbo people, thus instigating the counter coup.
The second of the two coups, the counter coup was another main reason of why political controversies was the most important reason for war.

The Nigerian Counter Coup was a Northern military plan masterminded by a military leader named Murtala in order to take revenge on the Igbo for their actions of the first coup against the Northern Federal Government. This military plan resulted in Ironsi being assassinated. “Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed and widespread reprisals were unleashed against the Igbo. Fearing marginalization within the state, on May 30, 1967 the Igbo-majority province declared its independence as the Republic of Biafra.” The widespread reprisals erupted everywhere in Nigeria and lasted for months... No Igbo was safe from the Hausa-Fulani, causing the Igbo leaders to declare Biafra as their own independent state on May 30, 1967. Refusing to accept a state-split, the Hausa-Fulani and Igbo went into direct war to gain or demolish independence.

To conclude, the three causes of the Nigeria-Biafran War was religious differences, British colonization, and most importantly, political controversies. The entirety of conflicts between the Igbo and Hausa-Fulani relate to the dissension in Rwanda. Two large ethnic groups, once colonized by a European country who creates tension between the groups, and eventually leading to violence/war. In both cases, the groups fought for political power, and ended with massacres of millions. The occurrences in Rwanda are a proven genocide, but

in Nigeria, it’s still a debated dispute to this day.