•Obasanjo
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned that Nigeria must never experience another civil war, stressing that many of the issues that triggered the 1967–1970 conflict remain unresolved within the country’s institutions and among its diverse ethnic groups.
Obasanjo gave the warning yesterday at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the presentation of a historical publication titled Asaba Massacre by the Isama Ajie of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze.
The former president said that although he participated in the Nigerian Civil War, he could not give a detailed account of the Asaba Massacre because the area was under the command of the late General Murtala Muhammed, reports The Nation.
“I must confess that I was involved in the civil war. When people talk about the Asaba Massacre, I always admit that I cannot give details of it because Murtala Muhammed was in charge of that operation,” Obasanjo said.
He disclosed that he had often been asked about Muhammad’s role in the Asaba operations but had refrained from commenting.
However, he promised to study the historical compilation, including its transcripts and audio-visual materials.
Reflecting on the lessons of the war, Obasanjo said Nigeria must confront its history honestly to ensure that such tragedies never recur.
“Some of the things that led to the Civil War are still with us today. How long will they continue?” he asked.
Recalling a conversation with former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Obasanjo said Gowon had maintained that Nigeria would not survive another civil war.
“I believe we have fought one civil war too many already. To say we will have a second civil war — God forbid. We must learn from the past, condemn what happened that should never have happened, and do everything humanly possible to prevent a recurrence. We must be able to say, ‘Never again.”
Obasanjo also recounted an incident during the war in which he prevented a soldier from raping a woman in Asaba, saying such actions would have made him vicariously liable as a commander.
Commending Nduka-Eze for documenting the events, Obasanjo said preserving historical records was essential for national healing and for educating future generations.
Earlier, Nduka-Eze said the Asaba Massacre was based on extensive research, including eyewitness testimonies, recorded interviews, archival documents, audio-visual evidence and established historical scholarship.
According to him, independent accounts consistently show that after federal troops entered Asaba, civilians were assembled in public places and compelled to declare allegiance to Nigeria by proclaiming “One Nigeria.”
He said men were subsequently separated from women and children before being executed, despite publicly affirming their loyalty to the Nigerian state.
“The evidence establishes a recurring pattern. Civilians complied with the demands in the hope of securing protection, but unarmed male civilians were still killed. This tragic contradiction is consistently reflected across testimonies, documentary materials and scholarly works,” he said.
Nduka-Eze added that while the exact number of casualties remains uncertain, credible evidence suggests that more than 1,000 unarmed men were killed, leaving a lasting scar on the Asaba community.
Like Obasanjo, the author warned that many of the underlying issues that fuelled the civil war — including ethnic distrust and suspicion among Nigeria’s diverse groups —remain unresolved and continue to threaten national cohesion.
