Introduction

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was military governor of Nigeria’s Eastern Region and head of the state of Biafra from 1967–70.

Early Life

Born on 4 Nov. 1933, Ojukwu was the son of a wealthy businessman. He graduated from Oxford University in 1955, after school in Lagos. He joined the army in 1957 and was soon promoted to the rank of major. He then served in the Congo under a UN peacekeeping programme.

Career Peak

When the Igbo secessionist movement seized power in 1966, Ojukwu became leader of the Eastern Region. After General Gowon was named Nigeria’s president following a counter-coup, Ojukwu managed to retain his position. However, with the Igbos increasingly isolated, he declared independence for the Eastern Region, re-naming it the ‘Republic of Biafra’ in May 1967. Civil war broke out, ending in defeat for the Biafran government and Ojukwu’s exile to the Ivory Coast.

Later Life

Returning to Nigeria in 1982 he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in Jan. 1983. His attempts to re-enter politics as a presidential candidate failed when the elections of 1983 ended in violence. Ojukwu died in the United Kingdom on 26 Nov. 2011.