The Lingering Wall of Hatred: Revisiting Biafra, Aburi, and the Burden of Unresolved History

By Seigha Dora Ayedi
Global Egberi Media International (Reporting from Italy)

"History is not merely what happened. It is also how people remember it—and misremember it."

The ghost of Biafra continues to haunt Nigeria’s political discourse, half a century after the guns fell silent. Despite the end of the war in 1970, what lingers is not just the trauma but a deeply entrenched wall of ethnic resentment, myth, and what one Nigerian medical professional and historical observer, Dr. Austin A. Orette, calls "a prison of embellished stories and generational misinformation."

In a compelling and provocative reflection from Houston, Texas, Dr. Orette, a family medicine practitioner and University of Nigeria graduate, challenges the growing trend of historical revisionism that has taken root among younger Biafra agitators. His remarks, grounded in both personal reflection and historical interrogation, are a sharp rebuke of what he describes as a dangerous recycling of half-truths and weaponized memory passed from the original Biafran generation to their children.

🔥 Embers of a War Rekindled by Misinformation

According to Dr. Orette, the current rhetoric coming from some Biafran proponents is not merely misguided—it is malignant. It represents a deliberate distortion of the historical record, particularly regarding the events leading up to the Nigerian Civil War and the infamous Aburi Accord of 1967.

“Biafra declared war on Nigeria, not the other way around,” Orette insists. “Gowon was a reluctant warrior who bent over backwards to avoid war. Yet, he is demonized while the aggressors cloak themselves in victimhood.”

He recounts how after Biafra declared secession, its forces invaded the Midwestern Region, sacked the sitting governor, and subjected the population to conscription, looting, and military occupation for three months. It was only when federal troops rallied and pushed them back near Ore that Nigeria reasserted control. That period, he says, was a chapter of chaos rarely acknowledged in mainstream Biafra narratives.

📍 The Aburi Accord: Myth, Memory, and Misrepresentation

Central to the Biafran mythos is the Aburi Accord, often hailed by pro-Biafran activists as the silver bullet solution that Nigeria refused to honor. But Dr. Orette peels back the romanticized layers, arguing that Aburi was not a binding national agreement, but rather an informal meeting between two military leaders—Yakubu Gowon and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu—both unelected and acting outside any constitutional framework.

“Aburi was never meant to rewrite the Nigerian constitution,” Orette says. “It was meant to de-escalate conflict, not to legalize secession.”

Ojukwu, he argues, overplayed his Oxford-educated hand by arriving in Ghana with a team of lawyers to press for near-impossible demands. “Gowon didn’t have the authority to meet those demands,” Orette explains. “Those in government made it clear the terms were unconstitutional.”

⚖️ Between Victimhood and Responsibility

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Orette’s critique is his direct confrontation with the narrative of Igbo victimhood. He does not deny the suffering endured during and after the war—but he argues that they were not blameless.

“The Igbos were not victims alone—they were also perpetrators,” he asserts. “From the 1966 coup to the aggressive secessionist campaign, they played a central role in destabilizing the state.”

He accuses successive generations of Biafra sympathizers of perpetuating a one-sided story, constructing a dangerous identity around grievance, isolation, and historical half-truths. “They have wrapped lies in mythology and passed it on as truth,” he concludes.

🧠 A Call for Collective Reflection, Not Mythology

Dr. Orette admits Nigeria’s history is complex and marred by injustice. But healing, he argues, will not come through distortion or weaponized memory.

He challenges modern agitators like Nnamdi Kanu who exploit Biafran sentiment without appreciating the lessons of history. “Foreigners didn’t fight Ojukwu’s war, and they won’t fight this one either,” he notes.

He also juxtaposes the treatment of Isaac Adaka Boro’s Niger Delta Republic with Biafra, noting Ojukwu and Ironsi had the power to nullify Boro’s bid—but cry foul when Gowon exercised similar authority over Biafra.

🌍 Time to Unlearn Lies and Build Bridges

Dr. Orette closes with a powerful appeal:

“Let’s rewrite the future, not the past.”

Until Biafra’s children are ready to face the full truth, he says, reconciliation will remain a mirage. “The Igbo nation must confront their own role. All Nigerians must. But truth must come before healing.”

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Report filed by Seigha Dora Ayedi, Global Egberi Media International – Italy Bureau