₦airaland Forum

By Nnamdi Akpa, Abakaliki


Following the revelation by former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida during the launch of his book “A Journey in Service” that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup as alleged, the Igbo apex group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday demanded an apology and N10 trillion as compensation from President Bola Tinubu to the Igbo.

The group noted that the coup unleashed disastrous repercussions on the Igbo people, among other factors, which ultimately led to the cataclysmic horrors of the Biafra War.

In a statement obtained by The Guardian in Abakaliki, the Deputy National President of the Ohanaeze faction, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that the apology and compensation had become necessary due to the staggering loss of life, with approximately three million Igbo—predominantly innocent women and children—slaughtered during the conflict, an event that continues to reverberate through the collective consciousness of the Igbo people.

He stated that the revelations would compel Nigerians to confront the stark injustices perpetrated against the Igbo people, insisting that President Tinubu must recognise this moment as an opportunity to extend a public and unequivocal apology on behalf of previous military regimes, particularly General Yakubu Gowon’s administration.

He added that such an apology was long overdue for the myriad wrongdoings inflicted upon the Igbo nation, which continue even decades after the conclusion of the Biafra War.

He noted that the demand for ten trillion naira in reparations remained steadfast, stressing that the figure was not arbitrary but a symbolic recognition of the indelible losses the Igbo people had endured.

He further stated that the Igbo people extended forgiveness to General Babangida and all others involved in the atrocities committed during the Biafra conflict, stressing that the confessions brought forth by Babangida should warrant accountability for those who participated in the tragic events that decimated the Igbo populace.

The statement read: “The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, extends its profound appreciation to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) for his remarkable courage in officially declaring that the January 1966 coup was unequivocally not an Igbo coup.

“This pivotal acknowledgement is not merely a correction of historical nomenclature but a significant moment in our collective pursuit of justice and reconciliation, signalling a potential end to the historical vindictiveness and cruelty that have been pervasive in Federal Government policies towards the Igbo Nation.

“His forthright exemption of the Igbo from the egregious classification as enemies of the Northern region in the aftermath of the coup is both timely and necessary, even if it arrives decades later.

“The mislabeling of the January 1966 coup has unleashed disastrous repercussions upon the Igbo people, most tragically culminating in the July 1966 counter-coup, which decimated a military Head of State of Igbo descent.

“The staggering loss of life, with approximately three million Igbos—predominantly innocent women and children—slaughtered during this conflict, continues to reverberate through our collective consciousness.

“Furthermore, even in the post-Biafra era, the Igbo Nation continues to grapple with systemic injustices, evidenced by acute marginalisation that leaves us with the smallest representation of states within the Nigerian federation.

“The political conspiracies designed to deny the Igbo the rights to ascend to the highest office in the land—Nigeria’s Presidency—the chronic economic neglect symbolised by the closure of the Calabar seaport, the inoperative state of several ports in Igbo land, the implementation of a discriminatory quota system, and the conspicuous absence of functional international airports in the Southeast starkly illustrate the Federal Government’s long-standing policy of exclusion.

“In light of these egregious injustices and the deliberate neglect exhibited by successive administrations, Ohanaeze Ndigbo hereby restates its demands, as articulated previously during the Justice Oputa-led Judicial Commission for the Investigation of Human Rights Violations Panel in 1999.

“We assert that the Nigerian Federal Government, under General Yakubu Gowon, conducted indiscriminate and unjustified bombardments in Igbo territory during the Nigeria-Biafra War, resulting in overwhelming loss of life. These historical realities establish an irrefutable case for the reparations we seek.

“The present Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, must recognise this moment as an opportunity to extend a public and unequivocal apology on behalf of previous military regimes. Our demand for ten trillion naira in reparations remains steadfast.

“This figure is not arbitrary but a symbolic recognition of the indelible losses the Igbo people have endured. The time has come for true acknowledgement of these historical wrongs, which can only be rectified through both reparations and sincere apologies.”

https://guardian.ng/news/1966-coup-ohanaeze-seeks-apology-%e2%82%a610tr-compensation-from-tinubu/

flokii post=134265465]You lots should be grateful to Awolowo and the kind hearted Yorubas that showed mercy on you rebels that followed Ojukwu into war..
I'm certain that left for the North, without Yorubas in the picture, Igbos would have been wiped out from the face of this earth. The hatred Northerners have for them no be here.

Awolowo as second in command took it upon himself to see that Igbos rose from the ashes of civil war.. instead of showing appreciation, they are busy peddling lies and falsehood of £20 all over the place.

[/b]mquote]

Nigerian this is a typical Yoruba tribal lies .. sponsored against the Igbo tribe since 70’s

Yoruba said North no like Igbos .. visit any town in north .. visit their GRA’s and their major market ..
it’s always been Igbos and northerners sharing the same space with love ..


Yoruba said they’re. Well loved by north’s 🤣
Yet Tinubu a Yoruba god struggled to get votes in Northern Nigeria as a Yoruba man and finally rest with a paltry 8million votes

While the most hated by north got a 6 million votes

Haba Yoruba


During programs and ethnic profiling crises in the north
Both Yoruba Muslims and Yoruba Christian’s are slaughtered without qulams with other Christians or southerners ..
We saw the y or uba corpers that begged for their lives during buhari’s lost and cries

Northerners has slaughtered Yoruba people like goats.
From Awolowo to Abiola and even jailed Ibasanjo .. now tell us how same north has dealt with Igbos like they’ve dealt with Yoruba people

Sultan Bello called Awolowo a treacherous human and aligned with Nnamdi Azikiwe to form a government and jailed same Awolowo

Yoruba keep saying the north hates the east because they stay in their cave and dream wish e wish evil against Igbos which always backfire on them

Today Tinubu is the president .. same north Yoruba claims love them are leading opposition to chase their god out of power



Again Yoruba narratives

Do you understand why they call Yoruba slaves or gambari slaves .. since the print media

Not only did north gave. Then the name Yoruba

Yoruba has never ever challenged the north in any form or speak .. but always lay their heads to been chopped off by same north they worshipped .. why thru go behind then north to blackmail ..
wonder why north call the beyirebe? Green snake in green grass

Let us get it clear

Awolowo after the war said Igbos must not allowed to taste power till 100 years after the war

Awolowo was the minister of finance that ga e Igbos 20 pounds to restart life .. no matter how much you have in account prior to then war and that was only opportune igbos..
What happened to the rest of their monies .. Awolowo stole it .. fact!!

Awolowo is a thief .. reason why IBB almost jailed humans he choose suicide in a rat poison in his bathroom after brushing ..


As for the thread.. if Igbos should choose to get compensated and go through ICC or a reputable court .. not only Nigeria will compensate them .. but also the yoruba tribe

Awolow killed more Igbos during the war with genocide than what guns did

Igbos must know history and understand their enemies

Have Igbos seen a northerner mock Biafra or kanu!
No !!

Is Yoruba people .. and they will always wish Igbos and north to fight each other

Was it not Yoruba media that started the mockery over the dead of sultan and Balewa that ignite the crises in the north..

Was it not Yoruba media .. that drew Nzeogwu as an angel with a sword over sultan like angel over satan

Northerners know Yoruba people and this is what the east don’t know about the people they call their southern neighbors

Igbos must wake up to their reality

The south south knows this people more than the Igbos

They know the treachery of of their warlord .. that aligned with Yoruba .. Adekunle killed him.


Nigerians must wake to the reality of this people

They have. Come to change narratives again

Imagine such trash

IBB....compensate them!

Interesting

You lots should be grateful to Awolowo and the kind hearted Yorubas that showed mercy on you rebels that followed Ojukwu into war..
I'm certain that left for the North, without Yorubas in the picture, Igbos would have been wiped out from the face of this earth. The hatred Northerners have for them no be here.

Awolowo as second in command took it upon himself to see that Igbos rose from the ashes of civil war.. instead of showing appreciation, they are busy peddling lies and falsehood of £20 all over the place.

I swear to Allah if I was awolowo a lot of things will have been referred to as "once existed" because I will do the extreme not even a fly will remain but the man Bleep up, now see noise pollution and k legs everywhere

DEROX:
He was stupid for that It pained me I do ask myself that God why wasn't I awolowo at that time, I would have been remembered for achieving what they call cleansing or purging

This IBB they are all praising now didn't have regard for them.. Northerners domesticated SEners as their slaves in the 80s' & 90s' and only Yorubas challenged the Military till they fled Lagos and relocated seat of power to Abuja..

Yorubas are never cowards.. never ever will Yorubas become slaves to North.

Even though we know Tinubu won't pay anything, but at least I appreciate the fact that IBB has come out to make the record straight...

For the enemies of ndị Igbo that will come here here to comment rubbish, don't forget we're not the architect of your miserable life

It is interesting how IBB didn't write about the counter coup which he also participated fully. One which purpose was to kill Igbo officers, of which they actually did kill them simply because of the obvious perception that the coup, one which needs no arguing was an Igbo coup. Else why were the running after Igbo officers to kill them? Was it simply because Igbo officers wives and Igbos in the North were making a mockery of Tafawa Balewa, Sardauna and others who were not Igbos?! Why the mockery by Igbos?! It was because even Igbos themselves saw it as 'OUR COUP' an Igbo coup and so they were jubilating the intial success of the coup, an Igbo coup.

IF THINGS DIDN'T GO WRONG ACCORDING TO PLAN, AND THE IGBO 95% DOMINATED COUP PLOTTERS CONTINUED SUCCESSFUL, RUNNING OBVIOUSLY AN IGBO GOVERNMENT. EVERY IGBO WILL BE PROUD TODAY LIKE THEY WERE PRIDEFUL WHEN MAKING MOCKERY OF OTHERS AND NOT SEEK TO DENY 'THEIR OWN COUP' AN IGBO COUP WHICH WAS THEIR PRIDE BEFORE THE COUNTER COUP THAT HUMBLED AS WELL AS HUMILATED THEM. AND EVER SINCE, AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY THE IGBO MAN TRIES TO FREE HIMSELF OF THIS HUMILIATION. THAT IS WHAT IBB'S BOOK MEANS TO THEM, DESPITE CONTRADICTORY IN HIS OWN ACCOUNT, IN HIS BOOK.

It is also interesting to note how Nzeogwu a 'Hausa' had mainly Igbos has his fellow coup plotters. Why not Hausa, Fulani which IBB claims he, Nzeogwu is 'HAUSA' and wasn't Igbo except by name.

Gowon is alive

Jokers!

Bunch of jokers..

The Igbo deserves to be hugely compensated for the lies perpetuated against them for decades.

flokii:
You lots should be grateful to Awolowo and the kind hearted Yorubas that showed mercy on you rebels that followed Ojukwu into war..
I'm certain that left for the North, without Yorubas in the picture, Igbos would have been wiped out from the face of this earth. The hatred Northerners have for them no be here.

Awolowo as second in command took it upon himself to see that Igbos rose from the ashes of civil war.. instead of showing appreciation, they are busy peddling lies and falsehood of £20 all over the place.

u want us to believe u but u also don't want to believe us.....so keep ur stupid lies to ursef

“The goats are crying”
“January victory!”
“Igbo power!”

Displaying pictures of a majestic Nzeogwu on the horse slaying the Sardauna dragon.

Alongside other insensitive nonsense perpetrated by some foolish Igbo tribalists in the North gave the January 1966 coup an ethnic colouration, and set up many innocent lives for destruction.

Tribalism didn’t help anyone back then, and surely isn’t helping anyone now. Over 95% of Nigerians are still in hardship and poverty.

Wake up!

Na tinubu start the coup

Spot on!

flokii:
This IBB they are all praising now didn't have regard for them.. Northerners domesticated SEners as their slaves in the 80s' & 90s' and only Yorubas challenged the Military till they fled Lagos and relocated seat of power to Abuja..

Yorubas are never cowards.. never ever will Yorubas become slaves to North.

Oga read

EmperorIsaac:
IBB....compensate them!

IBB should compensate them with another lie, why people from that side always fell for lies

Although the number of lives lost in Biafra was unnecessary, and mostly innocent, they were wasted just for nothing during the civil war...

...but what is amazing to me is that I thought the IBB man said that his view is "speculative" and that he "may be wrong".

He clearly said that in his book, and how come you want to make a case with something the author says is speculative? Or am I missing something?

Simple.

EmperorIsaac:
IBB....compensate them!

The perpetrator is now playing the victim because an enemy of democracy said something to massage their fragile ego

Dem dis cultural dance group of native doctors don start.... !!!!!!!!!

Are they Nigerians now?

I thought they belong to Biafla

IBB successfully used their leaking brains as ping pong! Gowon,muritala and danjuma were the key figures in Nigeria military government in the war that led to the death of over 3 million biafrans ,forced their coward leader to scamper for safety . Appeal to bail awolowo falls on deaf ears as ironsi and his Godfathers,zik ,revelled in the opportunity to take their pound of flesh as he was the obstacle that pummelled them both from winning southwest . ironsi being not a wise person with the advice of his senior mentor,zik were reluctant to punish the coup plotters solely because they were from their region. Gowon took over, released awolowo ,dealt with the offenders, only for these mongrels to turn around to say they wanted to install awo! For sympathy or for what? For some reasons, zik escaped, opara escaped,ibo senate president escaped ,but the other premiers were gruesomely killed,And this new biafra toys thought they can fool anybody??