Isaac Adaka Boro

Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro (10 September 1938 – 9 May 1968) was a Nigerian nationalist and military officer of Ijaw heritage. Born in Oloibiri on 10 September 1938 to Pepple Boro, he is widely regarded as an early advocate for the rights of minority groups in Nigeria.

Boro held multiple roles throughout his life, including student leader, teacher, police officer, activist, and military officer in the Nigerian Army.

In 1966, he established the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, an armed group primarily composed of members of the Ijaw ethnic group, and proclaimed the Niger Delta Republic on 23 February 1966. This declaration led to a conflict with federal forces, lasting twelve days before Boro and his associates were apprehended by Ojukwu led soldiers and later charged with treason. They were later granted amnesty by the federal government under General Yakubu Gowon in May 1967, shortly before the Nigerian Civil War.

Following his release, Boro joined the Nigerian Army and was commissioned as a major. 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.

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.