The producer of BBC Africa Eye’s Surviving Biafra: Voices from the Nigerian Civil War, Mr. Leke Isama and Movie Director, Meje Isama, say the documentary was created to address widespread ignorance about the war and counter rising ethnic and tribal hostility among young Nigerians especially youths.
Leke noted that social media has amplified divisive narratives, with some people glorifying wartime violence and using the conflict to fuel present-day ethnic tensions.
According to him, the film combines archival footage and survivors’ testimonies to reveal the human cost of the war and encourage Nigerians to confront the painful realities of their past.
The documentary emphasizes that war brought suffering, distrust, and setbacks to national development, while ordinary citizens bore the greatest consequences.
He called on Nigerians to reject tribal prejudice, embrace peace, and make a conscious effort to build unity, stressing that every Nigerian life is equally valuable regardless of ethnic background.
Meanwhile,
Brigadier General Godwin Alabi Isama retired, has praised the BBC documentary on the Nigerian Civil War, describing it as an important effort to educate younger generations about a conflict many know little about.
The 85-year-old war veteran said the documentary exposed the realities of the war and expressed hope that Nigeria would never experience such violence again.
Isama recalled emotional memories from the conflict, including scenes of suffering, while stressing that soldiers under the Marine Commando treated captured Biafran fighters humanely and worked towards ending the war.
Also speaking, veteran journalist and civil war witness Tony Kan Onwordi lamented that the lessons of the war had largely been ignored, arguing that both sides ultimately suffered despite the declaration of “no victor, no vanquished.”
The speakers at movie screening urged young Nigerians to reflect on the devastating human cost of the conflict and work towards a future built on unity, peace and reconciliation.
