After 59 Years, FG Revisits Asaba Massacre

The Federal Government is set to make a formal reconciliation declaration over the 1967 Asaba Massacre, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has said.

The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, disclosed this on Wednesday at the 59th anniversary memorial of the massacre in Asaba.

The development marks a renewed federal engagement with one of the most painful episodes of the Nigerian Civil War, during which hundreds of people were killed in Asaba in October 1967.

Oborevwori said official acknowledgement of the tragedy was critical to achieving reconciliation, noting that the Delta State Government had already recognised the massacre.

He said the state would continue supporting efforts to secure national recognition of the killings and establish a fitting memorial centre in Asaba.

The governor stressed that remembering the tragedy should not be viewed as an attack on Nigeria, but as an opportunity to learn from the past and prevent similar events.

The memorial also featured an apology from retired Major-General Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo, whose late father, Major Ibrahim Taiwo, was associated with the military operation during the period.

Taiwo said he had spent years researching his father’s role before deciding to apologise to the people of Asaba on behalf of his family.

The Asagba of Asaba, Prof Epiphany Azinge, welcomed the apology and declared that the community had forgiven the Taiwo family, although it would not forget what happened.

However, Azinge said full closure would require a public apology from a sitting Nigerian President.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who participated virtually in the memorial, described the massacre as one of the most painful episodes of the Civil War and appealed to survivors and victims’ families to embrace forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, called for truth, justice, restoration and healing, saying forgiveness should follow those steps.

Emu also disclosed that plans were underway for a memorial centre that would preserve the names, testimonies and records of victims and survivors for future generations.

The Asaba Massacre occurred during the Nigerian Civil War in October 1967. Researchers and community historians have estimated that more than 1,000 people may have been killed, although figures vary.

The proposed federal reconciliation declaration is expected to become an important step in ongoing efforts to formally acknowledge the tragedy and promote healing nearly six decades after the killings.