[3] The Eastern Region's coat of arms was based on the colours of the Pan-African flag designed by Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League.

The half sun with the eleven rays has become a key part of the iconography of the Igbo people and is often used to represent ethnic or regional pride.

[4] Since Nigeria's return to democracy in 1999, after decades of military rule, it has coincided with the resurgence of demands for Igbo self-determination and Biafra secessionist movements.

[5] This ban is hard to fully enforce due to the regional nature of Biafran identity, with the support base concentrated in the South-East of Nigeria.

[8] A similar event occurred in Enugu on 5 November 2012, which also resulted in the arrests of 100 people, following a peaceful march through the city after the Biafran flag was raised.

During a visit to towns and cities across Nigeria in 2010, Historian Ike Okonta expressed his surprise at the number of Biafran flags displayed in public places and the confidence with which the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) officials and its members went about their activities, despite the violence and police brutality they experienced.

The flag is commonly used by Neo-Biafran groups to promote the recreation of the Biafran state, encouraging people to explore an alternative to the general Igbo identity.

Heavy usage of the flag during protests also provides a better possibility for gaining future political independence as it is a clear symbol of the united support of Biafra.

Evidence from eyewitnesses, confirmed that the Nigerian military opened fire on members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), its supporters and bystanders at three locations in the town.

Lecznar states: "the image of the half yellow sun was the central emblem of the Biafran flag and continues to be a powerful symbol of the hope garnered by the Igbo population after Biafra's secession from Nigeria, but also of the failure of the post-independence Nigerian nation".