The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has strongly refuted recent statements by former Nigerian Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who claimed that the Nigerian-Biafra civil war was not targeted at the Igbo people but was a response to secessionist revolt in 1966. Ohanaeze described Gowon’s narrative as gross misinformation and a blatant distortion of historical facts that insults the collective memory and dignity of the Igbo nation.
In a statement issued by factional Deputy President-General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze accused Gowon of failing to protect Nigerians, especially Igbos living in the North during the crisis that led to the war. The group highlighted the unimaginable atrocities committed against Igbos following the 1966 Northern riots, which forced them into strategic self-defense against a war they did not initiate.
Ohanaeze condemned Gowon’s portrayal as an attempt to sanitize his image while ignoring the truth about his military aggression, which they say was a calculated campaign driven by British economic interests in the oil-rich Eastern region and retaliatory motives of the Fulani oligarchy. They urged Gowon to abandon outdated rhetoric, disclose the truth about his abandonment of the Aburi Accord a peace agreement that could have prevented the war and seek forgiveness from the Igbo people.
The organization emphasized that God has granted Gowon continued life to confront his conscience, confess his misdeeds openly, and lead efforts toward reconciliation and reconstruction for the Igbo nation. Ohanaeze warned that history will judge Gowon harshly if he fails to seize this opportunity for redemption, stressing that his military pride and silence have tormented him for decades.
The group also linked the lingering violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt to the consequences of Gowon’s actions during the war, calling on his associates to encourage him to come forward and speak the unvarnished truth for the sake of national healing and posterity.
Ohanaeze’s response adds to ongoing debates about the causes and legacy of the Nigerian Civil War, underscoring deep divisions over historical narratives and the urgent need for reconciliation.
