Violence in Post-independence Nigeria: A Postcolonial Critique of Buchi Emecheta’s Destination Biafra

Abstract

Emecheta’s Destination Biafra examines the post-independence political development of Nigeria up to civil war in order to make postcolonial critique of post-independence Nigerian violence. The development of Nigerian politics as ethno-regional affairs and competition of corrupt elites make the independence just a charade and re-appropriation of colonial order. Even the military coup and divisiveness of military leaders turn out to be the successor of old leaders and catalyst of civil war. By depicting the ethnic polarization and competition, Emecheta shows how renegotiation of power status between major ethnic groups culminates in virtually unstoppable violence both in inter and intra-ethnic level. Along with these, through the character of Alen Grey and Giles, the novel criticizes the impingement of neo-colonial interest helping to escalate violence. Further, Emecheta makes observation over the gendered spaces in this externally induced and homegrown ethno-regional national violence through the character of Debbie and other women denying the traditional notion of maleness of war. For Emecheta, this violence becomes an instrument to expose paradox of nationalism and postcolonial nation building, haunting ethnic conflict, neo-colonial intervention and gendered spaces making this novel a postcolonial critique of post-independence violence in Nigeria.