Trending 
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that many of the conditions that led to Nigeria’s Civil War remain unresolved, urging Nigerians to do everything possible to prevent another conflict.
Obasanjo spoke in Abeokuta during the presentation of Asaba Massacre, a historical account of the Nigerian Civil War written by the Isama Aje of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
The former president said Nigeria could not afford to experience another civil war, regardless of any arguments in its favour.
“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. And 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.”
He urged Nigerians to learn from history and commit themselves to ensuring such a tragedy never happens again.
“Thank you very much for making people know about it, for people to learn about it, and for people to take a vow that never again. And I say to you, never. I will do everything possible to say never.”
Obasanjo described the historical account as an important contribution to preserving the country’s past and inspiring future generations.
Drawing from his experience during the civil war, he said he had always maintained that he could not provide details of the Asaba Massacre because the area was under the command of Murtala Muhammed.
He added that although many people had asked about Murtala Muhammed’s role in the Asaba operations, he could not comment on it but would study the transcript and audiovisual materials presented by the author.
Obasanjo also recalled preventing some atrocities during the war, including stopping a soldier from raping a woman in Asaba.
Presenting the work, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze said Asaba Massacre is based on extensive evidence, including eyewitness accounts, recorded interviews, archival records, audiovisual documentation and historical research.
According to him, the evidence shows that after federal troops entered Asaba, civilians were assembled in public places and instructed to declare their loyalty to Nigeria by proclaiming “One Nigeria”.
He said men were subsequently separated from women and children before unarmed male civilians were killed, despite publicly affirming their allegiance to the country.
Nduka-Eze said multiple independent accounts corroborate the sequence of events and indicate that more than 1,000 civilians lost their lives during the massacre.
He also warned that many of the issues that contributed to the civil war remain unresolved, noting that ethnic groups in Nigeria continue to relate to one another with suspicion.
