IN a concerted effort to overcome the psychological
and emotional devastation of the October 7, 1967
massacre in Asaba, the present day capital of Delta
State, indigenes of the town have organised a
three-day event to celebrate the victims of the
horrific event with a focus on forgiveness and rebirth. SOYINKA The event, which coincides with the 50th
anniversary of the sordid event, will hold from
tomorrow to Saturday, in the ancient town and will
have Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka as Special
Guest of Honour with Bishop of Sokoto Diocese,
Matthew Kukah as Guest Speaker while former governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr Donald Duke, will
chair the event. Other speakers include President-
General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Chief John Nnia
Nwodo, and former External Affairs Minister,
General Ike Nwachukwu (retd.). Addressing a world press conference in Asaba, the
Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. J. Edozien,
said that the town decided to commemorate the
event because the people love Nigeria and want it
to remain united and indivisible. The Asagba, who spoke through the Iyase
(Traditional Prime Minister) of Asaba, Chief Patrick
Onyeobi, urged Nigerians to strive to evolve a
system of government that will guarantee justice to
all. He said: “We, the people of Asaba, have decided to
collectively come out and tell the world the story of
our unfortunate and tragic experience 50 years
ago, which left many of our people badly
traumatised. We are telling the story because we
dearly love our country Nigeria and want it to remain united and indivisible. “We will not like the same mistakes that led us to
the unfortunate Nigerian civil war (1967-1970)
which produced the Asaba massacre of October 7,
1967 to be repeated so that history does not
condemn us, particularly the present generation of
leaders of our country as history has done the Bourbons of France, who history recorded as
having “learnt nothing, forgotten nothing and
mastered nothing from their history. “We must
strive to evolve a system of government that
guarantees justice to all.” Chairman of the Memorial Group, Alban Ofili-
Okonkwo, who reeled out the anniversary
programme, said the event will involve sensitisation
and citizen engagement programmes in order to
achieve healing and closure which will “signal the
collective resolve of Asaba indigenes to leave behind the memories of their tragic past and walk
resolutely into a more promising future.” He added: “The activities will separately and
collectively pay deserved tribute to the dead and
also designed to help galvanise Asaba people
towards rebirth and healing. “The commemorative activities will commence on
October 5 with a one-minute silence for the Asaba
martyrs at Noon. It was on that day 50 years ago
that federal troops stormed Asaba ransacking
homes and killing civilians who they claimed were
Biafra sympathisers. Other commemorative activities include media briefing, canon shots heralding
traditional burial rites for the dead (known in
Asaba culture as egwu ota). Also planned are
service of songs and candle light procession to
Ogbeosawa grave site for tributes to the dead,
interdenominational service, exhibition of artefacts, documentary and presentation of awards to
honourees.” He further stated that the anniversary activities will
include the presentation of a book on the carnage
entitled “The Asaba Massacre- Trauma, Memories,
and the Nigerian Civil War” authored by renowned
Anthropologist, Prof. S. Elizabeth Bird and co-
authored by distinguished historian, Prof. Fraser Ottanelli both of the University of South Florida. “The book presentation will, however, be preceded
by the hosting of A Colloquium on the Asaba
Massacre, with the theme: “In Pursuit of Rebirth”.
Eminent scholars, statesmen, renowned
industrialists and other distinguished citizens of the
world are expected to attend the activities marking this year’s anniversary. The activities will be
rounded off on October 8, with thanksgiving
service in churches in Churches all over the world,”
Ofili-Okonkwo said. He disclosed that Noble Lauret, Prof. Soyinka,
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Kukah, and
President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo were
among dignitaries that had confirmed that they will
be part of the event. He stated that the campaign messages for the
aniversary include: //WordsnotWar; //
AsabaRebirth; //WeRememberWeForgive; //
MyplaceofbirthAsaba; //
remembranceandforgiveness. The press conference was well-attended by Asaba
chiefs and elders who narrated in tears their
experiences of the massacre and how they became
the survivors. According to their narrations, a recap of the gory
story was that in 1967, at the thick of the fratricidal
war, the Nigerian federal troops forced the
seceding Biafran troops back across the Niger, into
Onitsha, which lies directly across from Asaba. In a
bid to stop the enemy’s pursuit, the Biafran’s blew up the eastern spans of the bridge on the Onitsha
end. The triumphant Nigerian troops would soon
become a kill joy for Asaba indigenes for no sooner
did the federal troops entered Asaba that they
began ransacking houses and killing civilians at
random claiming they were Biafran sympathizers. In a bid to stop the rampaging troops, Asaba elders
and leaders quickly summoned their people to
assemble on the morning of October 7, hoping to
end the violence through a show of support for
“One Nigeria.” However, after hundreds of men,
women, and children, paraded along the main streets in support of a unified country, men and
teenage boys were separated from the women and
young children, after which the federal troops
opened fire, killing the people in cold blood. It is
estimated that more than 700 men and boys were
killed, some as young as 12 years old. This number excludes the many who were killed in the
preceding days. The federal troops went ahead to
occupy Asaba for many months, during which most
of the town was destroyed, women and girls raped
or forcibly “married,” and a large numbers of
citizens fled, many not returning until the war ended in 1970.