In July 1968, natives of the then newly created Rivers State, which now includes the areas that make up present-day Rivers and Bayelsa States, organized large-scale demonstrations in the streets of London. These protests were part of a broader effort to express opposition to the Biafran secession during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970).
The creation of Rivers State by the Nigerian government in May 1967 was a strategic move aimed at weakening the Biafran cause by dividing its territory. The new state was carved out of the Eastern Region, a Biafran stronghold, and was primarily inhabited by ethnic groups such as the Ijaw, Kalabari, and Ogoni, who had longstanding grievances against the dominance of the Igbo people in regional politics.
The London demonstrations reflected these ethnic tensions and the complex political dynamics that characterized the Nigerian Civil War. Many of the protesters feared that an independent Biafra would continue to marginalized their communities, which they claimed, that they had already experienced a sociopolitical exclusion within the then Eastern Region. By taking to the streets of London, they hoped to garner international support for their cause and align themselves with the Nigerian federal government.
While people from the Midwestern region, in today’s Delta State, stood by their Igbo brothers from the Southeast to fight against the Nigerian government, their counterparts in Rivers State opposed Biafra. The protests in London highlighted what some saw as a betrayal of the Biafran cause by the then Rivers State. These demonstrations were part of the Nigerian government’s strategy to build an international coalition against Biafra, while Biafra itself had garnered sympathy in several Western nations due to reports of famine and genocide.
The anti-Biafran protests in London were just one chapter in the larger narrative of ethnic and political struggles that shaped Nigeria’s post-colonial history. These tensions continue to influence the political landscape of Rivers and Bayelsa States today.
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