Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday warned that Nigeria must never experience another civil war, saying many of the factors that led to the 1967–1970 conflict still exist within the country’s institutions and among its people.
Obasanjo made the point at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta as he received a new historical documentation on the Asaba Massacre from the Isama Ajie of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze. The work, titled Asaba Massacre, includes a published transcript and an audiovisual documentary based on eyewitness accounts, recorded interviews, archival materials, audiovisual documentation and historical research.
Obasanjo, who was a military commander during the civil war, said he had long held back from speaking on Asaba because the area was under the late General Murtala Muhammed’s command. He praised Nduka-Eze for preserving the record.
“We pride ourselves that we preserve the past, we capture the present and we inspire the future. We capture the past, and this is the past; we want to capture it, we want to know about it,” Obasanjo said.
“I must confess, and you know that I was involved in the civil war. When people talk about the Asaba Massacre, I always confess that I cannot give details of it.”
He recalled stopping a soldier from raping a woman in Asaba and warned that many grievances that led to the war remain.
“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.’ I believe we have fought one civil war too many already.
“So, to say that we will have a second civil war, God forbid. Getting ourselves to know some of what happened, and to say, yes, we condemn what happened that should not have happened, and then make sure that we do everything humanly possible to prevent its recurrence.
“For us to be able to say, ‘Never again,’ what are we going to do?
“Thank you very much for making people know about it, for people to learn about it, and for people to take a vow that it should never happen again. I say to you, never. I will do everything possible to ensure it never happens again,” he said.
Nduka-Eze said his publication rests on extensive research, eyewitness testimony, recorded interviews, archives and established scholarship. He said evidence shows that after federal troops entered Asaba, civilians were forced into public assemblies, told to declare “One Nigeria,” men were separated from women and children, and unarmed men were killed despite complying.
“The evidence establishes a recurring pattern. Civilians were assembled in public places under conditions of fear and uncertainty. During these assemblies, residents were required to proclaim allegiance to the Nigerian State, including being instructed to declare ‘One Nigeria’ and otherwise demonstrate loyalty,” he said.
He added that while exact numbers are unclear, evidence points to more than 1,000 civilian deaths and called the event a devastating tragedy for Asaba. He echoed Obasanjo’s warning that ethnic mistrust and suspicion remain unresolved.
