Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that many of the factors that caused Nigeria’s Civil War remain unresolved, urging leaders and citizens to ensure the country never experiences another conflict.
Speaking in Abeokuta during the presentation of the historical book Asaba Massacre by Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Obasanjo stressed that Nigeria could not survive another civil war.
He said, “Some of the things that led to the civil war are still on. Now, how long will this be with us?” Recalling a conversation with Yakubu Gowon, he added, “We will not survive a second civil war as a country,” before declaring, “God forbid,” and urging Nigerians to do everything possible to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Obasanjo said preserving the nation’s history is necessary because it helps people understand the past, learn important lessons and build a better future.
The former president, who fought in the civil war, admitted he could not give details about the Asaba Massacre because the area was under the command of Murtala Muhammed, but promised to study the evidence presented in the book and documentary.
He also recalled stopping a soldier from raping a woman in Asaba during the war, saying such an act would have attracted vicarious liability.
Author Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze said the publication relied on eyewitness accounts, archival records, recorded interviews and other verified historical materials documenting the killing of unarmed civilians after federal troops entered Asaba.
According to him, victims were made to declare “One Nigeria” before many unarmed men were separated from their families and killed, with evidence indicating that more than a thousand civilians lost their lives.
Nduka-Eze warned that ethnic distrust and other conditions that contributed to the civil war still exist, reinforcing Obasanjo’s call for national unity and a commitment to “Never again.”