The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has rejected the recent remarks by former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, purporting that the Nigerian-Biafran War was not primarily targeted against the Igbo, but against secessionists who resisted the Nigerian government in 1966.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News in Abuja, Gowon had explained that the war effort under his leadership was directed at stopping secession and preserving the country’s unity. He said it did not target any ethnic group.
But in a statement issued by Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the body stated that Gowon’s assertions were not only gross misrepresentations of historical facts, but also an affront to the collective memory and sensibilities of the Igbo nation.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo emphasised that Gowon’s military aggression against the Igbo was not a reaction to secessionist ambitions; rather, it was a calculated initiative aimed at safeguarding British economic interests in the oil-rich Eastern Region of Biafra and retaliating against perceived threats from post-1966 coup.
Isiguzoro stated, “We are compelled to address and clarify the deeply entrenched biases and distorted narratives perpetuated by General Gowon.