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Wisdom, O. ASSAM

AGBOKIM- OBI (AGBOKIM WATERFALLS) AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR, 1967-1970

Abstract

The study on “Agbokim and the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970” examined the impact of the Nigerian Civil War on the minority non-Igbo group of the then Eastern Region, the Agbokim waterfalls in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State. Though the Nigerian Civil War has been extensively studied, the effects of the 30-month war on minority non-Igbo groups remain underexplored, as seen in Agbokim. Hence, there is a need to fill the gap by interrogating the economic, political, and socio-cultural implications of the civil war for Agbokim. It adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on data from both primary and secondary sources. The paper utilises Resource Capture Theory. The Nigerian Civil War was the result of a complex interplay of several factors, including the failure to manage the ethno-religious diversities in the Nigerian State, leading to the 1966 coups, the pogrom in Northern Nigeria, and the declaration of the secessionist Biafran Republic in 1967. Thus, the war highlights some fundamental problems in Nigeria’s national integration, power-sharing arrangements, and inter-ethnic relations. Findings reveal that Agbokim was divided between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Biafran Republic, with each side offering different incentives. The study concludes that scholarly interest in the non-Igbo minority group is necessary for a balanced narrative on the Nigerian civil war. Also, the study contributes to the discussion of nation-building

Keywords

Nigerian civil war, Biafra, Agbokim, Resource capture Theory,