Resurgence of Indigenous People of Biafra Separatists Movement and the Nigerian State, 2015-2020

ABSTRACTSince Nigeria’s Independence in the 1960, over ten active separatist movements have risen with several demands from the central government. The activities of these movements (from1960 –2020) have claimed thousands of lives and have left millions of dollars’ worth of properties damaged. From the activities of MEND to the activities of the Boko Haram, MASSOB, IPOB among others have all left their marks on the entity known as Nigeria. The increasing emergence and activities of separatist movements has raised doubts and worries as regarding the unity of Nigeria. From 2015 – 2020, IPOB has become a major separatist movement that has given worries to the central government. IPOB emerged 2012 as a separatist group that leads the call for Biafra’s independence from Nigeria. Its main aim is to create an independent state for the people of southeast of Nigeria, declaring a new Republic of Biafra. “From 2015 – 2020, IPOB has gained so much popularity and support both locally and internationally. This support and popularity has singled it out among other separatist movement in Nigeria with active members coupled with well-organized medium of propaganda. The crucial question is why the resurgence of IPOB separatist movement? Scholars have made countless efforts to answer this question. The work’s broad objective examines the Nigeria State and Resurgence of IPOB Separatist Movement (2015 – 2019) and the reaction of the central government to these agitations. As a specific objective, the research is guided by the following research questions: does the exclusion of politicians of Igbo extraction from politics in Nigeria account for the resurgence of IPOB separatist movement? What strategy has the Nigerian state adopted in managing the resurgence of IPOB separatist movement and to what effect? As a methodology, primary and secondary methods of data collections were used. Every valid research is built upon a theoretical framework of analysis. Consequent upon that, this research uses Frustration Aggression theory to explicate on the subject matter. The work found that the exclusion of politicians of Igbo extractions from politics accounts for the resurgence of IPOB separatist movement and also that the use of force adopted by the Nigeria state in addressing this resurgence deescalated the agitations. From the work’s findings, the work concludes that there is no hope for the unity of the entity known as Nigeria, until the politics of exclusion of politicians of Igbo extractions from politics in Nigeria is resolved and a more deliberative approach is taken by the Nigerian state to resolve their source of frustration. The work recommends a restructuring of the Nigerian state for proper integration of the citizenry into the politics and a deliberative approach rather than violent approach by the Nigerian state in resolving the issue of separatist agitations.viii