Exactly on October 7, 1967, the federal troops under the command of Lt Col Murtala Ramat Mohammed committed the greatest genocide in Af, rica’s history. In a broadcast at Benin to signal what is to happen at Asaba on September 21, 1967, Lt Col Mohammed thundered, “I have already dispatched my forces to deal with the rebels around Agbor and Asaba”. Little wonder why Igbo women were raped, children maimed, pregnant women raped and their pregnancies emboweled from Benin, Agbor, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku with the grand finale been the butchering of over 2000 defenseless men and male children who had rolled out their drums to rejoice with the federal troops for recapturing Asaba from Biafran forces at St Patrick’s College area of Asaba by Lt Col Mohammed’s troop for alleged “Biafra sympathy”. All these happened in total disregard to the Geneva Convention and federal directive issued by the then Nigeria’s HOS, Major-General Yakubu Gowon.

In the words of 58 years old eye witness, Ifeanyi Uraih, who was a resident of Asaba then with his nine siblings and parents, “I cannot tell this story without tears in my eyes, but I have no bitterness in my heart… They ordered everyone to come out to the town square… They were honest with us. They told us they were going to kill us. They took us to the mounted machine guns. Then it dawned on us that it was true. I was standing with my older brother at the edge of the crowd. He was holding my hand. He had always taken care of me. We shared the same bed. He was the first to be dragged away by the soldiers. He let go of my hand and pushed me into the crowd. He was shot in the back. I could see the blood gushing from his back. He was the first victim of the massacre. Then all hell let loose. I lost count of time. To this day, I live with the smell of the blood of my brethren that night. Even the heavens wept for the victims of this holocaust. Finally the bullets stopped.” Luckily Uraih made it alive because the bodies of the people who were killed fell and buffered and him.

It is indeed 44 years today but the wound are still fresh. According to Chinelo Egwuatu, another survivor of the genocide, “We can forgive but we should never, ever forget… There is no way you can bring the people back, but you can at least acknowledge that it happened.” Special thanks to the University of Florida Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and its team of researchers ably led by Erin H. Kimmerle, Professors Elizabeth Si Bird and Fraser Ottanelli who have elected to “break the silence, honour the dead, develop a historic record of the event and secure funding to build the permanent memorial”.

On the part of the Federal Government, it is time we put this ugly part of our history permanently behind us by giving the dead deserving state burial and proper apologies rendered to the surviving families of these great Nigerians, whose blood were wasted by bloodlust and hate-mongering soldiers. Anything less is begging the question and it behoves us all as Nigerians to seek justice for the dead

High_Chief:

Fuuuckk Murtala Muhammed. Good riddance to bad rubish. Heartless beast!!!

pash4naija:

I have heard some Yorubas say that Ojukwu was right (looking at events now and looking back) and that the Yorubas should have backed him up. Things would have been different now,

Looks like ever since the Dimka coup in which Gowon’s name was mentioned as a co-backer of the coup, his(Gowon’s) demeanour has been like those of a coward, always sucking up to the Hausa-Fulani probably for fear that the dirt of Dimka could be un-earthed against him.

Look at what is happening in Jos, Gowon has never altered a single word against the marauding Hausa/Fulani who want to impose their religion on the Beroms.

High_Chief:

^^^You are right and am sure you are enjoying your "One Nigeria". Odeee

supereagle:

Without Yoruba Generals , Biafra will be a Nation today. They handled the most diffcult terrains in the warfront.

I was in Form Four when this great and pragmatic leader was assassinated. To us in Kwara, it was double tragedy because our very efficient State Governor, Col. Taiwo was abducted and killed too. I remember that day, no classes were held and our teachers had a hectic time getting us to go for lunch. Many of us wept profusely for this men because we saw them as real patriots. Murtala took over the reins of government at a time when the previous government was power drunk and careless about the governance of the nation. His government literally hit the ground running. From day one, he was out to positively affect the lives of Nigerians. He did away with all the paraphernalia of office such as outriders. He visited the markets and spoke to ordinary market women. He wanted to feel what the ordinary Nigerians felt. He shunned flamboyancy in all its forms. He took decisions promptly and did not care whose ox was gored. He declared his assets and returned blocks of flats to the Federal Government because according to him, he could not account for them within his military pay. He was a true leader. Am I saying he was perfect? No, but he tried to be. Unfortunately, these policies pitted him against enemies not only within but from outside Nigeria. He single-handedly ensured Angola was granted independence by recognizing the MPLA as the sole representative of the Angolan people at the independence talks and when Britain was trying to block the resolution, he nationalized British Petroleum and pronto, Britain backed down. But from then he was a marked man by the M16 and CIA. Adieu Gen. Murtala Mohamm

^^^Get your facts right before you start saying what you dont know. Ojukwu's comment had always been "On Aburi accord I stand". Ojukwu never planned for war nor declared war. Why did the gowon led govt renege on the Aburi accord? Igbos were being masacred everywhere while gowon turned his face, so tell me, what did you expect Ojukwu to do? If Ojukwu really wanted to seccede or planed to wage war, do you think he would have bothered going to aburi? Honestly, so many of you guys are still feeding into the lies your hausa masters told you and still telling you. Thats how they painted Ojukwu to you guys and thats how you see him, no wahala. But why are you people calling for the same SNC today? Such call has already vindicated Ojukwu. Shallom

Rhino.5dm:

^
You actually believe the call for SNC is a justification of failed Biafra? This is a peaceful process of carrying everybody along. Afteral Igbo man(Zik) was the sole architect of the mess called Nigeria.

You came with the usual regurgitated lies about 1967 and i pointed to you that Zik(Igbos man) was the sole architect that convince both north and west to accept the false marriage called Nigeria.

If Biafra was truely an ideology and not a self centered idea of a power-drunk-spoilt-**** to foist himself on you, then why is Biafra lieing in the casket waiting to be buried? Biafra was just a tool the pschopath called Ojukwu wanted to use to actualized his dreams. In the last 40 years, how many UN resolutions the Biafrans attempted to get? Nada! Zilch!!

jp philips:


only if you knew ojukwu's plan for biafra, you will shoot him the head

Rhino.5dm:

^
Dude, you can't distort the well established fact that Ojukwu was just power drunk SOB. That said.

Progrom was a bye product of the selective killings meted on the northern and western political leaders. The finest! Only if you can estimate the love of the northerner to the leaders Igbos killed, during their 'greedy' coup.

You people went ahead to celebrate the cold blooded murder of Sardauna and Tafawa Balewa in the north, while allowing your leaders slip into exile delibrately. Una think say na only una get sense, abi? Akintola was a fine politician and Igbos eliminated him. Only to allow Zik the main conspirator ran into exile.

Rhino.5dm:

^
Dude, you can't distort the well established fact that Ojukwu was just power drunk SOB. That said.

Progrom was a bye product of the selective killings meted on the northern and western political leaders. The finest! Only if you can estimate the love of the northerner to the leaders Igbos killed, during their 'greedy' coup.

You people went ahead to celebrate the cold blooded murder of Sardauna and Tafawa Balewa in the north, while allowing your leaders slip into exile delibrately. Una think say na only una get sense, abi? Akintola was a fine politician and Igbos eliminated him. Only to allow Zik the main conspirator ran into exile.

Guy believe on whatever makes you feel better.