Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that many of the factors that triggered Nigeria’s Civil War remain unresolved, cautioning that the country cannot afford another violent conflict.
Obasanjo made the remark on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the presentation of a historical document titled Asaba Massacre, authored by the Isama Aje of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
The former President said although different arguments might be advanced to justify conflict, Nigeria must do everything possible to ensure that another civil war never occurs.
He said, “Some of the things that led to the civil war are still on. Now, how long will this be with us?
“I was with a colleague when General Yakubu Gowon said, ‘We will not survive a second civil war as a country,’ and I believe that we have fought one civil war too many already.
“So, to say that we will have a second civil war, God forbid. We must do everything humanly possible to prevent its recurrence.”
Obasanjo stressed the need for Nigerians to confront the country’s past honestly, condemn actions that fuelled the conflict and collectively commit to ensuring such a tragedy never happens again.
He described the publication on the Asaba Massacre as an important contribution to preserving Nigeria’s history, saying documenting past events would help future generations learn from them.
“We preserve the past, we capture the present and we inspire the future. We want to know about the past so that we can learn from it,” he said.
Reflecting on his role during the 1967-1970 Civil War, Obasanjo said he had consistently refrained from commenting on the Asaba Massacre because the area was under the command of the late General Murtala Muhammed.
“I must confess that when people talk about the Asaba Massacre, I always tell them I cannot give details of it,” he said, adding that he would study the transcripts and audiovisual materials accompanying the publication.
The former President, however, recalled preventing some abuses during the war, including stopping a soldier from raping a woman in Asaba.
Presenting the document, Nduka-Eze said the publication was based on extensive evidence, including eyewitness testimonies, recorded interviews, archival materials, audiovisual records and historical scholarship.
According to him, independent accounts consistently showed that after federal troops entered Asaba, civilians were assembled in public places and instructed to demonstrate loyalty to Nigeria by declaring “One Nigeria.”
He said men were subsequently separated from women and children before many unarmed male civilians were killed, despite complying with the directives.
Nduka-Eze said while the exact number of casualties remained uncertain, available evidence suggested that more than 1,000 civilians lost their lives during the incident.
He also echoed Obasanjo’s concerns, saying many of the divisions that contributed to the civil war, particularly ethnic suspicion and distrust, still exist in the country.
FOLLOW US
FOR MORE HERE
