Remembering Biafra Veterans During the Nigerian Armed Forces Day Memorial

Nigeria’s Armed Forces Day, also known as Remembrance Day is celebrated every year on January 15. It was set to that date to commemorate the end of the Civil war through the official surrender of the Biafran Armed forces to the Nigerian Government thereby ending the armed struggle by the Igbo tribe to secede from Nigeria in 1970.

Typically, most of the activities focus on marches, laying of wreaths at the tomb of unknown Nigerian soldiers and other activities related to recognition of veterans, but not much mention is made in these speeches and activities nor are tributes paid to the forgotten veterans and fallen rebel soldiers of the secessionist Republic.

It is very important to note that the insidious shell of the Biafran Armed forces was made up of former officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces. They formed the nucleus of the armed forces and many served honorably and in senior officer commands of the secessionist armed forces training the volunteers who populated the ranks of the armed forces as the war escalated in scope and intensity. Many of these soldiers paid the ultimate price and many others survived the war with several injuries with little or no recognition or no benefits.

Citizens of the former republic typically hold private or group memorials for these fallen combatants on May 30, which coincides with the Declaration of Biafra but it lacks cohesion across the states with no government participation or acknowledgement.

It is very important to remember that the Nigerian Civil war was fought on an unprecedented scale for thirty long and hard months. During the war the rebel republic was compelled to form its own army, air force, navy, intelligence, and many other paramilitary units to combat the already established Nigerian Armed forces, which they did equitably for thirty long months displaying unprecedented valor and earning the respect of the Federal Army as many officers on the federal side have attested.

After the civil war, Nigeria to its credit re-absorbed many secessionist officers back into the Armed forces, but in the spirit of one Nigeria, it is time for a more regimented and inclusive system of remembering all fallen combatants and veterans from both side of the conflict and acknowledge and stress that the ultimate price paid by secessionists in the struggle for a more moral, equitable and justly governed Nigeria free of marginalization and lawlessness was not in vain.

The United States has gone a long way in reconciling with its civil war past and presently there is a confederate memorial in its Arlington (Military) cemetery, in addition some states in the United States have the Confederate Memorial Day.

It is they hope of many nationalists that Nigeria learns to integrate these memorials and provide both logistical, financial, and psychological support for the veterans of the Biafran Armed forces and to allow them march alongside their former rivals in the spirit of “No Victor No Vanquished”, as declared at the signing of the surrender by then head of state, and to promote a greater shared bond to build a stronger One Nigeria.




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