Every generation of Nigerians carries a wound it did not cause. For the Igbo, that wound never healed. From the ashes of Biafra in 1970 to the restless cries for freedom today, one haunting question still echoes: what must the Igbo do to be free?
I have met many Igbo — brilliant, bold, and fiercely ambitious people. Yet when it comes to politics and corruption, their leaders are no different from others. Nigerian politicians, regardless of tribe, share one thing — greed.
The truth is bitter but undeniable: Nigeria was never a marriage of love. It was a union forged in the furnace of colonial greed. The British drew careless lines on a map and called it a nation. The Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, and others were tied together without consent — and that’s why the quarrel never ends.
Among them, the Igbo have always been the most restless child — intelligent, independent, and allergic to control. Before colonialism, they lived in free, self-governing communities. Freedom runs in their veins.
Then came the Biafran War — born out of betrayal, fear, and blood. It ended in unspeakable tragedy. Over three million souls perished, mostly women and children. The Nigerian government said, “No victor, no vanquished,” but the scars told another story. The victors took the spoils; the Igbo were told to rebuild with twenty pounds.
Since then, the dream has never died. From MASSOB to IPOB, every generation of Igbo youth inherits the same anger and the same burning resentment toward the Nigerian state. Yet emotion and hatred alone cannot bring freedom.
Biafra cannot be won with bullets — only with brains. The Igbo must unite, plan, and organize. Their greatest enemy is not the Hausa, the Fulani man, or the Yoruba politician, but their own disunity.
If the Igbo truly desire freedom or genuine autonomy, they must first speak with one voice. Form a Pan-Igbo leadership that rises above party and religion. Define the goal — confederation, true federalism, or lawful independence. As a Yoruba proverb wisely says, “When a people know what they want, the world begins to listen.”
From the look of things today, I don’t think the Igbo truly know what they want for their future generations.
Power today is not won with violence, but with strategy.
Win politically, not militarily.
If you cannot capture Abuja, then turn Enugu, Aba, Umoji, and Onitsha into models of good governance.
When your region becomes the envy of Nigeria, your call for independence will command respect — not ridicule.
Let the Igbo diaspora use their global influence wisely — to lobby, to educate, to build alliances. The world will support a peaceful cause, not a violent rebellion.
True revolution is discipline, not destruction. Boycotts, legal battles, and peaceful protests can achieve what bullets never will. Nigeria fears global embarrassment more than guns.
But independence is not romance — it is responsibility.
It means building your own economy, army, and constitution without Niger Delta oil, Northern Nigeria’s minerals, Lagos’ economy, or Abuja’s help. Are the Igbo ready for that?
The dream of Biafra will never die, but it must evolve — beyond emotion and tribal hatred. Anger creates martyrs; wisdom builds nations.
If the Igbo combine the fire of Biafra with the patience of Mandela, history may yet bend in their favor.
The South-East is not asking for war — it is asking for the right to choose its destiny. Nigeria must listen. A nation that silences its people’s dreams will one day wake to find those dreams ruling from exile.
The Igbo are not begging for pity — only for the freedom to walk away from Nigeria. And from this day forward, they must learn how to make it happen — if they truly want it.
— Mogaji Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan.
