He served on the side of the Federal Government during the Civil War but lost his life under unclear circumstances in 1968 while on active duty near Ogu, close to Okrika, in Rivers State.
[8] Activists in the Niger Delta, such as Ken Saro-Wiwa, Ebikabowei "Boyloaf" Victor-Ben, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, and others, have often acknowledged Isaac Boro as an influential figure in their advocacy.
Isaac Adaka Boro was born on September 10, 1938, in the humid creeks of Oloibiri, now located in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
He wrote:[6]"I am reliably informed that I was born at the zero hours of midnight on 10 September 1938, in the oil town of Oloibiri along humid creeks of the Niger Delta.
He expressed disapproval of Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi’s emergence as Head of State, which he viewed as undermining Nigeria’s federal structure and constitution.
[14][15] Isaac Adaka Boro established the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), composed of young men from various Ijaw clans, who were trained in a militia camp behind his father’s compound in Kaiama, Bayelsa State.
Despite the formidable challenge of confronting the Nigerian Army, Boro and his key allies, including Captains Sam Owonaru, Nottingham Dick, George Amangala, and others, remained steadfast in their resolve.
For 12 days, the NDVF resisted federal forces before being subdued by the Nigerian Army under Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, with support from Eastern Region Governor Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.
Following his capture, trial, and conviction for treason, Boro remained unapologetic, famously stating, “There is nothing wrong with Nigeria but the lack of mercy in our activities.”[17] The political landscape shifted after the July 1966 counter-coup, which brought Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon to power.
As Nigeria approached civil war, Boro’s knowledge of the Niger Delta’s complex terrain and his ability to mobilize local support became valuable to the federal government.
In his memoir, the 5th and 12th Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo wrote that Isaac Boro was killed by a retreating rebel soldier during a private visit.
Major Isaac Adaka Boro was originally buried at Ikoyi Cemetery in Lagos, but in 2013, his remains were exhumed and reburied at the Ijaw Heroes Park in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.
[23] Boro's actions brought awareness to the challenging conditions faced by the Ijaw people, who, despite living in an oil-rich region, experienced poverty.
Captain Sam Owonaru, Major Boro's second in command and the last surviving member of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, spoke in June 2020 before his death.
His revolt is regarded as the first significant armed opposition to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and his legacy continues to influence efforts addressing the region’s concerns.