LICENSE PLATES ON LINE! .... Biafra

Biafra

STATUS: Former secessionist state, now part of Nigeria.

PRONOUNCED: bee AHF fruh

CAPITAL: Enugu

WORLD LOCATION: Wester Africa

FIRST LICENSE PLATES IN USE: 1967

PLATES WERE: Nigerian issue plates of that period, with the E prefix being painted out on the plates. There is even a photo of a Nigerian plate known that has the E prefix painted into a "B".

For more info on Biafran license plates, here's an except from Dr. Roy Klotz, from his Nigerian Archive:

BIAFRA - from 1967 to 1970 the Eastern States of Nigeria attempted to secede from Nigeria and set up their own country termed Biafra; The "E" on former white/black was painted out leaving the remaining letter and the serial number white/red; A 00 AA serial format; the underlined letter indicates the District of Biafra.

NOTE! RPW reports these plates are red/white; this is possibly not correct and white/red definitely did exist. I was fortunate enough in my first collection to obtain a plate from Port Harcourt which was white/black, but which was obviously painted over a white/red plate. I had the new paint carefully and professionally stripped away to reveal the original serial number and had the plate thusly restored. I wrote to the contact who originally sent me the plate and received the following cryptic message - "this plate was used during an unfortunate period in our country's history". This was a tactful way to express the answer in case censorship was in effect.

Code Letters on Biafra Bases

A Aba

B Abakaliki

C Calabar

E Enugu

H Ahoada

K Eket

N ?

O Onitsha

P Port Harcourt

T Ikot-Ekpene

U Umushia