BIAFRA IS NOT A DREAM!!! Asari Dokubo adds another etymological direction to Biafra - "It is a Kalabari word" |
Ijaw freedom fighter Asari Uzodinmma Dokubo yesterday affirmed his strong believe in Biafra, while opining that the name Biafra originated from an indigenous Kalabari word. Dokubo used his Facebook wall reaffirm his support for the restoration of Biafra.
Dokubo asserted that the word Biafra, is corrupt version of BIAFULO, which Kalabari people named the estuary of Santa Barbara River, from where the Portuguese corrupted the name. According to him, this justifies the ned for Ijaws as well as Binis to join the Biafran restoration project.
According to Dokubo “BIAFRA IS NOT A DREAM!!! Biafra which is corrupted from the KALABARI(Ijaw) word biafulo meaning undone(not well cooked) soup….The Ijaws of Kula named the estuary of Santa Barbara River BIAFULO because of the constant turbulence of the spot…In that context it means unruly or dangerous sea.The Spanish and Portuguese corrupted Biafulo to Biafra and first named the estuary Biafra later THE WHOLE COASTLINE STRETCHING FROM THE CAMEROON TO LAGOS WAS CHRISTEN THE BRIGHT OF BIAFRA. After the genocidal war the name Bright of Biafra was vindictively changed to Bright of Benin.
Therefore, Biafra belong to all the people of the former independent state of Biafra and now the people of defunct BENIN REPUBLIC,WHICH IS TODAY EDO AND DELTA STATE.The march 28th voting clearly showed where we belong.”
With this, Dokubo has added another etymological meaning to Biafra.
There are other historic facts suggesting that Biafra may have been a merger of Bijago and Afar.
In a 15th century map, there was a kingdom named BIAFAR covering the entire Biafran area in Nigeria and some parts of Southern Cameroon and Gabon. The kngdom of Biafra was bordered in the west by the Benin Kingom and Guinea Kingdom, in the North by the Soudan Kingdom (covering the northern Nigeria) in the east by Ethiopia and in the south east by Loango. As such the various parts of Atlantic Ocean were named Gulf of Guinea, Bight of Benin and Bight of Biafra. However, after the war Bight of Biafra was changed to Bight of Bonny.
History has it that the Bijago tribe used to occupy the land before the Hebrews (Afar people) came down from Ethiopia and begin to intermingle with the indigenous tribe.
Based on this, Biafra may have been coined from BIjango + AFAR = BIAFAR.
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Based on this, Biafra may have been coined from BIjango + AFAR = BIAFAR. |
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