Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the Asaba massacre as one of the darkest and most painful episodes of the Nigerian Civil War, saying the tragedy should remain a reminder of the devastating consequences of conflict.
Obasanjo spoke virtually on Wednesday while serving as chairman of the occasion at the 59th anniversary memorial held in Asaba, Delta State.
Reflecting on the civil war and the massacre, the former military head of state said the conflict itself was a tragic chapter in Nigeria’s history.
“This marks the remembrance of one very sad aspect of the Nigerian civil war. Of course, the war in its entirety was an unfortunate event which should never happen,” Obasanjo said.
He described the events in Asaba as particularly painful.
“But the Asaba Massacre, as it is called, was one of the most painful, one of the most terrible aspects of that war,” he added.
‘I Wept After Reading the Documents’
Obasanjo said documents presented to him about the massacre deeply affected him, revealing that he was moved to tears while going through them.
According to him, the tragedy was particularly difficult to process because it happened in Nigeria during his lifetime.
He said he was saddened that such an event occurred “in my own country, in my lifetime.”
The former president appealed to survivors and relatives of victims to embrace forgiveness as part of the journey towards reconciliation.
“To all of you assembled: let us keep one thing in mind — forgiveness, forgiveness, and forgiveness again,” Obasanjo said.
He also urged Nigerians to continue remembering the massacre so that future generations can learn from the tragedy and work to prevent similar events from happening again.
Asagba Demands Presidential Apology
Responding to Obasanjo’s call for forgiveness, the Asagba of Asaba, Epiphany Azinge, said forgiveness should not mean forgetting what happened or abandoning the community’s demand for accountability.
“We may not forget, but certainly, we have to forgive,” Azinge said.
The monarch, however, maintained that the community could not fully heal or achieve closure without an official apology from a serving Nigerian president.
“There will be no closure, there will be no healing until a sitting President — not an ex-President, but a sitting President — publicly apologises to us,” he said.
Azinge noted that former military head of state Yakubu Gowon had previously apologised for the massacre, but did so after leaving office.
The monarch also questioned Obasanjo’s call for Nigerians to repeatedly say “never again”, referring to the Odi killings that occurred during Obasanjo’s administration.
“Coming from him, I was a bit taken aback. How long do we say ‘never again’? But it happened at Odi,” Azinge said.
Asaba Community Forgives Taiwo Family
Despite maintaining his demand for an apology from a sitting president, Azinge announced that the Asaba community had chosen to forgive the family of Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo, who was associated with the military operation during the massacre.
“On behalf of the Asaba community, and as the prescribed authority — the Asagba of Asaba — I hereby publicly proclaim that we have forgiven the Taiwo family,” he said.
The monarch also acknowledged an apology from retired Major General Ahmed Taiwo, the son of Colonel Taiwo.
Ahmed Taiwo had expressed regret over the events and apologised on behalf of his father and family for any actions, omissions or decisions that may have contributed to the massacre.
“I know it will not right the wrong, but I believe and pray it is a start towards reconciliation,” he said.
Calls for Permanent Memorial
The 59th anniversary memorial also featured calls for greater national recognition of the massacre and the establishment of a permanent memorial centre in Asaba.
Organisers want the centre in place ahead of the 60th anniversary next year, as part of efforts to preserve the history of the victims and educate future generations about the tragedy.
The Asaba massacre took place between October 5 and 7, 1967, during the Nigerian Civil War.
Civilians in Asaba, many of them Igbo, were killed during the events, with the Nigerian Army’s Second Infantry Division involved in the military operation.
The anniversary continues to serve as an opportunity for remembrance, calls for accountability and discussions around reconciliation.
Source: Anniversary memorial proceedings
