In order to defend the rights and right to self-determination of the Niger Delta people, Boro founded the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF) in 1966. This was a reaction to the Nigerian government’s alleged abuse and neglect of the area’s resources. In February 1966, Boro organized an armed uprising that became known as the “Twelve-Day Revolution.”
The NDVF proclaimed the Niger Delta Republic and attempted to seize control of the area’s oil reserves. But the Nigerian military put an end to the uprising quickly, and Boro was taken prisoner.
Following the revolt’s collapse, Boro and his supporters were taken into custody, put on trial for treason, and given the death penalty. But following a coup, General Yakubu Gowon—who had assumed the presidency of Nigeria—gave them amnesty. Boro joined the Nigerian army in 1967 to fight against the breakaway state of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). In the federal military operations in the Niger Delta, he was a key player.
In the midst of the Nigerian Civil War, on May 16, 1968, Isaac Adaka Boro passed away under strange circumstances. There is conjecture and disagreement on the precise circumstances of his passing.
