Video - Wounds of War: Child Soldiers in the Nigerian Civil War

Did you know that during the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, children were often used as soldiers? This brutal conflict lasted from 1967 to 1970 and resulted in the deaths of over one million people. The war was fought between the Nigerian government and the secessionist state of Biafra, led by Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu. The use of child soldiers was a tragic consequence of the war, with young boys and girls being forced to fight on the front lines. The impact of this conflict is still felt in Nigeria today. The foreign players in the civil war included China, the then Soviet Union, Israel, France, Egypt, Canada, and the United States. Biafra surrendered on January 15, 1970, and was reintegrated into the Federal Republic of Nigeria. After the war ended, General Gowon described it as one with “no victor and no vanquished”, a rhetorical statement aimed at healing wounds.