 By the mid @-@ 20th century , the Igbo people developed a strong sense of ethnic identity . Certain conflicts with other Nigerian ethnicities led to Igbo @-@ densely populated Eastern Nigeria seceding to create the independent state of Biafra . The Nigerian Civil War or the Nigerian @-@ Biafran War ( 6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970 ) broke out shortly after . With their defeat , the Republic of Biafra once again was part of Nigeria . MASSOB , a sectarian organization formed in 1999 , continues a non @-@ violent struggle for an independent Igbo state . 
