“Pogrom”: (The Mother of All Genocide) the yet to Be Investigated Genocide of the Ibos

By Philip Eze Ehirim

Pogrom is the story of the genocidal massacre and the ethnic cleansing of the Ibos resident in the Northern Nigeria and elsewhere in other parts of Nigeria, by their fellow countrymen (Hausa – Fulani), in reprisal for January 15th 1966 failed coup detat.

The author insist the Pogrom never got investigated and remains the only ethnic cleansing not investigated the whole world today. The UNO is reminded that the onerous task of finding out what really happened and who and who perfected and executed the act can not be wished away by the world body. He further suggested the delay in investigation into the ugly annihilation of the Ibos could count to the apparent absence of peace, progress and development, as in local parlance, the spirit of the victims have not rested until they get justice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546252320

Philip Eze Ehirim

Philip Eze Ehirim, a.k.a Apeze was born to the family of Mr. Raphael Nwanyanwu Ehirim and Mrs Beatrice Ukaganma Ehirim (nee Ezike), both of blessed memory, in Etche in the present Rivers state of Nigeria, during the emerging years of the end of the second world war. He finished his primary education at the Saint Paul’s Catholic Ebute Metta (West) in 1964, having done his early years of his primary education at All Saints Catholic School, Amazano, Njaba L. G. A., his native town. He relocated to Eastern Nigeria precisely Port-Harcout to join his senior brother before the end of 1965, where he lived till the Nigeria - Biafra war. He fought along side the Biafran Forces, first as a militia man and later as a combatant soldier when the Militia arm of the Biafran Armed Forces was disbanded soon after formation. At ceasation of hostilities in 1970, he came back to Lagos early 1971, travelled to Accra Ghana where his father was resident in June 1971, as a measure to survive the grave yard peace that the Ibos got at the ceasation of the cataclysm. He came back to Lagos at about the first quarter of the year 1973 where he joined the Nigerian Navy in September 1975, discharging voluntarily in 1993 after unblemished service. While in the Navy he travelled twice to India where he studied Naval law as part of specialised Military courses. He was a cool head unionist serving his kins union as Chairman well above two tenures. He also served the secondary school P. T. A. Lagos unit as General Secretary and Chairman respectively. He is married to Mrs. Roseline Ehirim and blessed with five children.

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© 2018 Philip Eze Ehirim. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/05/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5233-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5232-0 (e)

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CONTENTS

Foreword

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Prologue

Chapter One Form And Formulation Of Nigeria

Chapter Two The Ibos As A Tribe

Chapter Three Political Development In Nigeria

Chapter Four Post-Indepndence Politics: Politicians And Crisis

Chapter Five Pogrom Rehearsal

Chapter Six The Days Of Pogrom (Genocide)

Chapter Seven The Days Of Pogrom – A Case For Secession?

Chapter Eight The Methodology For The Pogrom

Chapter Nine Principal Characters Of The Pogrom

Chapter Ten The Ibo (Biafran) Friends

Chapter Eleven The Role Of The Chartered Nations

Chapter Twelve The Will Of The People Is Their Will

Chapter Thirteen Addendum

FOREWORD

The plight of the Ibo race as it exists in Nigeria has always been a unique one engendered by acute strife. In this his book Pogrom: The Uninvestigated Genocide of The Ibos, Philip Eze Ehirim has presented a platform where the different strata of the injustices faced by the Ibo nation through time, is clearly put forward.

For one who wishes to understand the totality of Biafra and the Biafran struggle, this book presents enough fodder to do so.

The genesis of the problems arising is being tackled in the beginning chapters. Here we see how the British colonialists with the amalgamation of North and South parts of Nigeria, created a socially and politically incompatible state that was rife with instability.

The systemic massacre of the Ibo man in Nigeria, most especially in the Northern parts of the country has been enough to give one pause to seriously review this state of a country called Nigeria and to see if it is really wise to claim to be one, or to remain so as a matter of fact.

For the Ibos, despite the pogrom of the past, the passion for self-governance is still one that burns brightly in Iboland. The final chapters go on to elaborate on how the actualization of Biafra can take root.

Sophia Eze,

July 2018.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the following:

1. Late Biafran leader the Peoples General, Ikemba Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.

2. All those who died and other victims of the Pogrom.

3. Foreign friends of the Ibos – Gabon, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Tanzania and Haiti.

And to all people of goodwill for Biafra including IPOB, MASSOB etc.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to express my utmost indebtedness to my erstwhile colleague in the Navy, Mr. Josiah. Ohakwe for availing essential documents from his archive which were invaluable for actualization of this book-project. The efficient transformation of the hand written manuscript to typed form was done by Miss Folake Ali, only God can adequately compensate her. I enjoyed the company of our 10th Batch Nigerian Navy Mates, especially during our regular meeting days when elementary work of this book project was in progress. Comrades we call ourselves. May Almighty God continue to spare us long life and good health, Bravo. I am greatly indebted to yet another erstwhile colleague in the Navy, Mr. Innocent O. Omeunara-Chima; He up graded the typing work and proof read the manuscript. He also packaged the book materials for publishing. I doff my hat for Miss Sophia Eze, she accepted to write the ‘Foreward’ to this book under a very short notice. May she live long. My unequalled utmost gratitude goes to my younger brother Mr. Dominic Ehirim. He too was a crew of Savage Bunk far back in Accra but relocated to Lagos early in 1970 immediately after the declaration of No victor No vanquished by General Yakubu Gowon. He single handedly sponsored the publication of this book. The publishers are based in USA. I remain grateful to members of my immediate family for their understanding and encouragement. Above all, no word can adequately express my love, gratitude and appreciation to my Divine Patrons, Father Son and Holy Ghost – the one supreme Almighty God, without whom I couldn’t have been able to conceive the whole idea that is this book and put words together to create this small book.

Philip Eze Ehirim (Apeze)

8th Aug 2018, LAGOS

PROLOGUE

I was still in the primary school, back there in my village in 1960 when Nigeria got her independence from Great Britain. The ebullience, enthusiasm and emotion of the moment overwhelmed every child to concurrence that Britain was bequeathing liberty, prosperity and socio-economic freedom for the youth of this place the British colonialist called Nigeria. Perhaps it could had been true and so. However in 1963 the federation of Nigeria cut the last link of colonialism and declared herself the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I completed my standard (primary) six in Lagos in 1964, and relocated to Port Harcourt – the heartbeat and commercial nerve centre of then Eastern Nigeria. Early in 1966 the khaki boys struck and rekindled again hope and high spirit of resilience for the teaming youth. And again this was not to be as hope was shattered when the Army struck again, and became disunited and disarrayed into rebels, cliques, dissidents until the Army itself dissipated into irrelevance. The issues and matters that could had been settled without further shading of blood was blown out of proportion when Col. Gowon repudiated the Aburi Accord and mischievously allowed pogrom and war as the only acceptable and achievable means to solving what had degenerated to civil crisis. And so the pogrom led to civil war when remnant and surviving Igbos found themselves facing the wall.

Every attempt to complete the annihilation of the Igbos failed when Col. Gowon had to proclaim to the world at the capitulation of Biafra that it was no victor, no vanquished situation and declared an amnesty that was never in the least implemented. When the situation took this shape, I was forced once again to become a good Nigerian. In 1975 I was frustrated into joining the Nigeria Navy, discharging voluntarily after unblemished service of 18 years.

I left the service and had since believed that somehow, somewhere, something shall bring about the actualization of sovereign state of Biafra especially as consistent state of insecurity and disunity has continued to rock Nigeria and her existence as a nation. The rising and falling of militias and similar militant organization gave rise to doubt that Nigeria was properly founded and that the structure that is Nigeria is destined to collapse. The American prediction of possible disintegration of Nigeria heightened my hope that the time is close at hand for new things to happen.

The emergence of the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), became the star of the sea that enables the captain of the ship to come alongside a safe harbour. At emergence the MASSOB bubbled and many people expected that before long, the Biafran flag was to be hoisted at the committee of nations, but for so long, so much un-happening is the situation. This is associated to the cry of the evil bird which cries at dawn to signal imminent death of a baby. The international authorities that are supposed to respond positively had kept mute and slumbered to stupor. This situation is not helped by the non-chalant attitude of the Ibo leaders who out of their liberty to right and exercise of the nascent democracy have dozed into state of disapproval for the burning desire of the majority of the Igbomen (including women) who since the days of the pogrom are awaiting the effective realization and actualization of the state of Biafra. The position now is that of frustration and hopelessness, but the rest I leave for the future generation.

The salient reason and purpose that urged my inner mind to write this title and subjected it to be published is to ensure that a lit light post shall always be there until the dawn of the watershed – the actualization of Biafra, especially as the generation that witnessed the pogrom and declaration of Biafra is fast passing away. This