Revisiting Isaac Boro: The Niger Delta Pioneer, Not An Igbo Target
CONTRARY to some narratives, Jasper Isaac Adaka Boro, the Ijaw leader who declared the Niger Delta Republic in 1966, was not killed or targeted by the Igbo. Boro, a vibrant young Izon man and former UNN Students Union president, emerged as a leader with broad support, even from Igbo students.
Following flawed federal elections in 1964, Boro and other plaintiffs challenged the government in court. He later led the 1966 Niger Delta revolt, was tried for treason, and imprisoned. The Supreme Court upheld his sentence.
When the Nigerian Civil War broke out in 1967, Boro was released and joined federal forces, fighting against Biafra in the Niger Delta alongside Major Adekunle, the Black Scorpion. He died in 1968 in Ogu, Rivers State—his death attributed to wartime dynamics, not Igbo action.
Boro’s struggle, including his 12-day Niger Delta revolution, was encouraged by Northern interests and reflected early Niger Delta assertions of autonomy. His legacy underscores the region’s early fight for recognition and the complexities of Nigeria’s pre- and post-independence conflicts.
