"Sovereign Biafra" Overprints
Stamps from the Nigerian wildlife issue of 1965-1966 were overprinted with the coat of arms of the
new nation and "SOVEREIGN BIAFRA" or "BIAFRA" after Biafra declared its independence from Nigeria.
Eastern Nigeria separated from the Nigerian Federation in 1967 after military coups precipitated ethnic and religious violence across the country, particularly in the North. The new state of Biafra issued its first stamps on February 5, 1968. Biafran stamps were mainly used on internal mail but some international mail was sent out by air via Libreville, Gabon. The civil war ended on January 15, 1970.
Biafra was located in southeastern Nigeria where there is a large Ibo population.
