January 15, 1970 – Untold memories of the Nigeria-Biafra war
January 15th is a day in Nigeria that honors the exploits and sacrifices of the Nigerian fallen troops in various military conflicts for the preservation of territorial integrity. January 15 is a day that also signaled the beginning and the end of a two and a half year civil war that has shaped the Nigeria we know today.
In honor of this special day, a historical documentary was premiered at the Film House cinemas, twin waters, to a select few and TW just so happened to be one of them.
Viewers arrived for the 5 pm screening in high spirits, expecting to be wowed by what was on show. We were kept waiting (maybe to build excitement), but it was worth it in the end.
The documentary’s focus began in 1967. Newly independent, now (then) military governed Nigeria is going through ethno religious riots, back-to-back military coups, persecution of easterners in the north, and struggle for control over the lucrative oil production in the Niger Delta. The next two and a half years spiral Nigeria into a civil war that claimed millions of lives.
Half a century after the events, a new light, focusing on the origins and implications of a war that nearly tore our beloved Nigeria apart, is shed on this scantily told backbone of our history.
Thanks to Ed Emeka Keazor, Alto Historical Media Production, and the people of the Center for memories, and the memories of the Nigeria-Biafra war, are now told by soldiers and survivors of the gory events, brought to life in a masterful compilation.
The involvement of former soldiers involved in the coups, families that fled, those that stayed behind and those still suffering from PTSD set this film up to become a monument to the millions of lives lost in the war and a lesson for future Nigerian generations.
The truth of what our country was and is becoming lies in us learning from the events of the 1967 war. January 15, 1970, is a groundbreaking documentary of healing that every Nigerian should endeavor to watch.
As of now, there is no official public screening date for the movie, but we implore you to watch out for this one. The stories told in its 140-minute runtime, are a treasure for every Igbo, Nigerian, and person willing to know the truth about war, and the truth about Nigeria.
Centre for memories can be reached via twitter, instagram or their website.
