By OKOI OBONO-OBLA

Forgotten Communities, Unanswered Questions

NEARLY six decades after the Nigerian Civil War ended, public memory continues to focus largely on the major military campaigns, starvation, diplomacy and the humanitarian catastrophe that accompanied the conflict. Yet across several communities in present-day Cross River State, local histories preserve accounts of wartime violence that many residents believe have never received adequate national attention.

Among those memories are accounts from the Ubaghara communities of Biase and neighbouring Biakpan, where survivors and descendants continue to recount episodes of mass killings allegedly carried out during the Biafran War. Although these events remain largely absent from mainstream historical literature, community elders maintain that they represent one of the lesser-known tragedies of Nigeria’s civil conflict.

Today, historians say such local narratives deserve careful documentation—not only to establish historical records where possible, but also to deepen understanding of how civil wars often produce violence far beyond conventional battlefields.

The Eastern Region: A Diverse Political Landscape

The declaration of the Republic of Biafra by Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in May 1967 emerged from a region that was ethnically diverse rather than homogeneous.

While the Igbo constituted the largest ethnic group within the former Eastern Region, numerous other peoples—including the Efik, Ibibio, Annang, Ijaw, Yakurr, Bahumono, Boki, Ogoni, Oron, Ubaghara and others—also became part of the secessionist territory.

Scholars of the civil war note that this diversity created complex political realities. Although many communities supported Biafra’s struggle for survival following the anti-Igbo pogroms in northern Nigeria, local grievances, historical disputes and inter-ethnic rivalries sometimes persisted beneath the broader wartime alliance.

These underlying tensions occasionally erupted into violence unrelated to the principal conflict between the Nigerian Federal Government and Biafra.

Community Testimonies of Wartime Killings

Central to local accounts are testimonies preserved by community members who say they either witnessed or inherited firsthand recollections of attacks on Ikun, Biakpan, Etono Central and surrounding settlements.

One such account comes from George Agbor, whose testimony describes large-scale killings in Ikun during the conflict. According to his recollection, hundreds of residents lost their lives during the attacks.

Agbor alleged that the violence was connected to longstanding disputes over land ownership and claimed certain influential individuals manipulated military structures for territorial advantage.

These allegations have not been independently verified through official wartime records or judicial findings, but they remain part of the oral history preserved within affected communities.

Historians note that oral testimony constitutes an important historical source, particularly where documentary evidence is limited, although such accounts require corroboration through archival research and multiple independent sources.

The Story of Elder Ebri Eteng

Another prominent figure in community memory is the late Elder Ebri Usani Eteng.

According to accounts passed down within Biakpan and neighbouring communities, Eteng served in the Biafran military after previously working as a personal secretary to Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Local narratives state that after learning of attacks on Biakpan, during which members of his own family were reportedly killed, he confronted the military unit allegedly responsible and later assisted surviving villagers in escaping further violence.

While historians continue to debate many aspects of wartime events in the Eastern Region, Eteng has become an enduring symbol of resistance and sacrifice within local historical memory.

His funeral in 2019 reportedly attracted significant delegations from Biakpan, reflecting the lasting place he occupies in community remembrance.

Land, Identity and Civil War

Researchers studying internal dimensions of the Nigerian Civil War observe that not all wartime violence resulted directly from ideological or military confrontation.

In some areas, longstanding disputes over land ownership, traditional boundaries and political influence intersected with the wider conflict.

Such dynamics have been documented in civil wars across Africa and elsewhere, where local grievances frequently become intertwined with national crises.

Whether future archival research confirms or challenges particular community accounts, historians argue that examining these local experiences provides a fuller understanding of how conflict affects ordinary populations.

The Search for Historical Recognition

Unlike some better-documented wartime incidents, the alleged killings in Ubaghara and Biakpan have received relatively limited scholarly attention.

Researchers specialising in memory studies argue that many local experiences of the Nigerian Civil War remain under-documented because official investigations were never undertaken after the conflict ended.

They suggest that oral histories, archaeological research, archival records and independent historical scholarship could contribute to establishing a more comprehensive understanding of events.

Such work, they argue, would not necessarily assign legal responsibility decades later but could help preserve historical memory for future generations.

Memory, Reconciliation and National History

Nearly sixty years after the war, many residents believe remembrance should serve reconciliation rather than renewed division.

Community leaders argue that acknowledging forgotten tragedies does not diminish the suffering experienced elsewhere during the conflict.

Instead, they contend that documenting diverse wartime experiences enriches Nigeria’s collective understanding of one of the most traumatic periods in its history.

Historians similarly note that confronting difficult chapters openly often strengthens national reconciliation by ensuring that smaller communities are not excluded from historical narratives.