Narratives of Victimhood, Martyrdom, Supernatural Protection and Blame: Oral Testimonies, Media and Legal Constructions in Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)-Affected Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

The study examines alternative stories of victimhood, martyrdom, and blame in communities in the Southeast Nigeria that have been impacted by the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It draws on the oral narratives of 48 respondents who went through a bereavement or loss of property or livelihood between 2020 and 2025. These narratives of the grassroots were triangulated with media reports, legal discourses, and religious constructions, in order to reveal the dynamic interplay between personal meaning making and institutional framing. Findings show that while some affected people described losses as noble sacrifices and redemptive martyrdom associated to the fight for self-determination, others described the same events as underserving tragedies caused by the IPOB’s irrational strategies, enforcement methods, and leadership decisions. The study uncovered that blame oriented or security related framings are amplified by media or legal institutions, while  religious institutions present hybrid framings that either sanctify the sufferings of the affected people, or peace promoting. The study shows that competitive victimhood and contested responsibility for crime leads to intra-community fragmentation despite the use of common historical grievances of the Nigerian-Biafran war. This study brings together narrative inquiry and framing theory with the concept of competitive victimhood, providing rich insights into micro-politics of meaning-making in separatist conflicts. The results reveal the shortcomings of telling single stories and the importance of more participatory ways of engaging in dialogue, peacebuilding and transitional justice that recognize plurality of lived experiences in the region.