By admin
The above title is the headline of a newpaper report in March 1969, the fact the word war was wraped in single quotes obviously suggest, that the writer was being Ironic, as by 1969, neither Nigeria nor Biafra had won the war. So what did these Biafrans actually win, that warranted such a headline in a national daily ?
Well like I have said before, the Biafran war was a big war and it did recieve a global coverage at the time, and it was fought on many fronts, including the diplomatic front which generated the headline of the newspaper article.
The story involves a court case between Mrs Margaret Agbor – a Biafran and the Metropolitan Police of London, over her and her five children’s wrongful eviction from their flat on Woodstock road in Golders Green, London. So what really happend ?
In 1965, the old Eastern Nigerian Government bought a house on 35 Woodstock road Golders Green, which it spit into 2 flats and allowed the Federal Government of Nigeria to use the ground floor flat, whilst they stayed atop. Fast-foward 2 years later, and the Eastern Nigerian Government is now the independent state of Biafra, with the Nigerians still occupying the ground floor.
At some point in early 1969, the Nigerian occupier left and the Biafrans moved in the Agbor family quickly, the Nigerians tried to re-occupy the flat but were resisted. They approached the British Home office, who then approached the Metropolitan Police, who then turfed Mrs Agbor and her five children, while her husband was away.
Mrs Agbor successfully sued the Police and won her rights to the flat back, this news made the headlines at the time, and just shows how much fighting really went on between Nigeria and Biafra on many different fronts.
I wonder now, where this wonderful Agbor family are today and how they fared post war etc, their surname sounds like its from Cross River state Nigeria ? Does anyone know the Agbor family ? let us know or better yet, I hope they stumble on the blog and reach out – that would be fantastic. Well enjoy the attached article.
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