Why did Odumegwu Ojukwu declare the Republic of Biafra in 1967?

Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967, primarily due to intense ethnic friction and the failure of the Nigerian federal government to address the safety and political autonomy of the Igbo people.12

Following a 1966 countercoup that brought Yakubu Gowon to power, the Eastern Region faced severe instability. Between 10,000 and 30,000 Igbo people were massacred in the Northern Region, leading to a massive refugee crisis. Ojukwu sought a significant devolution of power to the regions to resolve these tensions, but the federal government ultimately rejected the agreements reached at a 1967 conference in Aburi, Ghana.123

The situation reached a breaking point when the federal government issued a decree to divide the existing regions into 12 states, a move intended to weaken regional power. Faced with mounting pressure from his constituents and increasing alienation from the federal military government, Ojukwu, authorized by a consultative assembly, declared the Eastern Region an independent sovereign state.3412