Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently cautioned that Nigeria must avoid another civil war, noting that many underlying issues from the 1967–1970 conflict remain present today. He shared these thoughts at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta while receiving historical documentation regarding the Asaba Massacre from Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze.
This new collection, titled Asaba Massacre, uses transcripts, eyewitness accounts, and archival research to detail the tragedy. Obasanjo, a former military commander who served during the war, stated that he previously avoided discussing the Asaba events because they fell under the authority of the late General Murtala Muhammed. However, he praised the effort to document this history as a vital step toward ensuring such atrocities are never repeated.
The former president referenced a warning from General Yakubu Gowon, who once remarked that Nigeria would likely not survive another internal conflict. Obasanjo emphasized the need for national unity, stating he is committed to doing everything in his power to prevent a return to war. He noted that the grievances that triggered the previous conflict have not been sufficiently resolved.
Chief Nduka-Eze explained that his research documents how federal troops, after entering Asaba, gathered civilians and forced them to declare loyalty to the Nigerian state before separating men from women and children. Despite the civilians complying, many unarmed men were killed. The research estimates that over 1,000 people lost their lives. Nduka-Eze shared Obasanjo’s concern, warning that persistent ethnic mistrust and lingering social tensions continue to threaten the nation’s stability.
