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Article published In:
Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 19:4 (2020) ► pp.583–603

Separatists or terrorists? Jews or Nigerians?

Media and cyber discourses on the complex identity of the “Biafrans”

ORCID logo | Covenant University
| Covenant University

This study adopts a discourse analytical approach to examine the contested identity of the Igbos of the southeast of Nigeria. It analyses the significance of the social and political discourses in the media and the Internet about their claim to the Jewish ancestry and as “Biafrans” rather than Nigerians. The study highlights the implications of these claims and their larger political implications for Nigeria. The study also shows that ideological construction of group identity by IPOB consistently portrays them as the victim and the marginalized. And their claim to Jewish ancestry is possibly a way of seeking foreign support.

Keywords: identity, identity construction, Biafra, independence, IPOB, discourse, Jews, Nigeria
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Media and cyber discourses of minority identity construction
  • 3.Historical construction of the Biafran identity
  • 4.Biafran Jewish claims
  • 5.Methodology
  • 6.Analysis and discussion
    • 6.1Constructing the Biafra identity
    • 6.2Ideological construction of victimhood
  • 7.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 10 February 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.19041.chi
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