WHAT REALLY HAPPENED DURING BIAFRAN WAR AS DESCRIBED BY TWO ELDERLY PERSONS.

The Biafran war was a war that created an indelible mark in the Igbo community.it was a war that nearly tore this nation to shreds.there are two descriptive accounts of two elderly men from  ‘eligbo’ and ‘akpabio’ communities who experienced the war and shared their stories with us.

The story of an elderly man from ‘eligbo’ community who witnessed the war.

The war started from the northern part of the country between the period of 1966 to 1968. This was as a result of the killings that started since early 1966. The actual civil war took place because the igbos wanted the country to be divided into two. The eligbo community also suffered the agony of the war. Women were abducted by both Nigerian and Biafran soldiers.

The Biafran soldiers left our community to egbeada through the federal road. The war started in my community in the year 1965. The war was not welcomed by my people as it affected all aspects of life. Life during the period was miserable. 

The war affected my community badly up to the extent that we could not have any better way of feeding fine. Both Nigeria and Biafran soldiers used force to collect people’s wives.

The Biafran soldiers kidnapped young boys to join the army through forceful means.Nigerian and Biafran soldiers captured people’s wives.based on this act, we decided to cooperate to either sides.some people gave their wives in order to save themselves.

There used to be casualties on the soldiers and civilians in my village whenever Nigerian soldiers attack the Biafrans. Innocent people were killed through bomb explosions.

Recruitment into the biafran army in my community was through the use of force and self-interest. That is to avoid being shot by the soldiers. During the war, there was no school and even much absence of other social amenities.

Also the relationship between husband and wife was poor.most households lost their children in the war as a result of hunger and starvation. The war ended in 1970 after the declaration that everybody should go back to his or her community. Biafran lost the war in favor of Nigeria.

The war seriously affected my community. There was hunger and other deprivations such as lack of jobs,education and even the problem of resettlement. The recruitment in the Biafran army was done under conscription(force).

The story of an elderly person from akpabio community.

I do not have a strong idea on how the war started in my community in 1967. A good number of people were killed, houses were burnt and women raped. The Biafran soldiers kidnapped young people(boys) in 1969 and forced them to join the military. The people were recruited in 1970 at the age of twenty years and above. The international community brought relief materials.

During the war, most people were sleeping in the bush. There was no school during the period.women brought relief from farm.Nigerian soldiers abducted people’s wives.

During this period, there was lack of food, houses were burnt and children got lost. Lack of feeding and clothing were part of the major constraints during the war. There were also cases of women abduction. The war generally brought in much negative consequences in my community