Barricaded Ibo People Fearful, Angry; Prepared for Secession or Civil War - Logic may prove that civil war is impossible and unthinkable here, but logic means very little in Nigeria these days. Emotion reigns. Fear and bitter pride count for almost everything. The great cause of the present crisis is not political nor economic but psychological. The Ibo people were struck a shattering, murderous blow last year when thousands of them were massacred in the northern region of Nigeria. Most Ibos have fled home to Ibo land in the eastern region and barricaded themselves against the rest of Nigeria, So fearful and angry that they seem truculent, the Ibos distrust the federal government and want near-autonomy for their region. They are prepared, psychologically, for secession or even civil war...

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