Biafran secession
| Nigerian Civil War | |||||||||
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 The de facto independent Republic of Biafra in June 1967 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Nigeria Egypt (air support)
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 Biafra
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Supported by:
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Yakubu Gowon Murtala Mohammed Benjamin Adekunle Olusegun Obasanjo Mohammed Shuwa E.A. Etuk Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Theophilus Danjuma Ibrahim Haruna Ipoola Alani Akinrinade Ted Hamman † Muhammadu Buhari Ibrahim Babangida (WIA) Isaac Adaka Boro † Idris Garba
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Odumegwu Ojukwu Philip Effiong Alexander Madiebo Albert Okonkwo Victor Banjo  Ogbugo Kalu Joseph Achuzie Azum Asoya Mike Inveso Timothy Onwuatuegwu † Rolf Steiner Festus AkaghaLynn GarrisonTaffy Williams Jonathan Uchendu Ogbo Oji (WIA) Humphrey Chukwuka H.M. Njoku
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| Strength | |||||||||
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Nigerian troops: 85,000–150,000 (1967) (Possible 100,000) 250,000 (1968) 200,000–250,000 (1970) |
Biafran troops: 10,000–100,000 (1967) (Possible 30,000) 110,000 (1968) 50,000–100,000 (1970) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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Military killed: 45,000–100,000 killed Displaced: 2,000,000–4,500,000 Refugees: 500,000–3,000,000 |
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Military killed: 45,000–100,000 killed
Displaced: 2,000,000–4,500,000
The Nigerian Civil War, commonly known as the Biafran War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), was a war fought between the government of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra. Biafra represented nationalist aspirations of the Igbo people, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern-dominated federal government. The conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded Britain's formal decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included a military coup, a counter-coup and persecution of Igbo living in Northern Nigeria. Control over the lucrative oil production in the Niger Delta played a vital strategic role.
Within a year, the Federal Military Government surrounded Biafra, capturing coastal oil facilities and the city of Port Harcourt. The blockade imposed during the ensuing stalemate led to severe famine. During the two and half years of the war, there were about 100,000 overall military casualties, while between 500,000 and 2 million Biafran civilians died from starvation.
In mid-1968, images of malnourished and starving Biafran children saturated the mass media of Western countries. The plight of the starving Biafrans became a cause célèbre in foreign countries, enabling a significant rise in the funding and prominence of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Britain and the Soviet Union were the main supporters of the Nigerian government in Lagos, while France, Israel and some other countries supported Biafra. France and Israel provided weapons to both combatants.
The civil war can be connected to the British colonial amalgamation in 1914 of Northern and Southern Nigeria. Intended for better administration due to the close proximity of these protectorates, the change did not account for the great difference in the cultures and religions of the peoples in each area. After the amalgamation, oil was discovered in Eastern Nigeria (now southern South Nigeria). Competition for its associated wealth led to the struggle for control amongst the regions. As southern Nigeria was not as united as the north, it was disadvantaged in the power struggle. In July 1966 Northern officers staged a counter-coup to revenge on the easterners for the targeting of their own political leaders in the first coup; Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon emerged as the head of state. During his tenure, killing of Easters in the north continued; several retaliatory actions took place, eventually resulting in the Biafran war.
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Wikipedia