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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for forgiveness and reconciliation as Nigeria commemorates the 59th anniversary of the Asaba massacre, one of the bloodiest episodes of the Nigerian Civil War.
Obasanjo made the appeal virtually on Wednesday while serving as chairman of the occasion at a memorial organised in Asaba, Delta State, to honour those killed during the 1967 tragedy.
Describing the Civil War as an unfortunate chapter in Nigeria’s history, the former president said the Asaba massacre stood out as one of its most painful episodes.
“This marks the remembrance of one very sad aspect of the Nigerian civil war. Of course, the war in its entirety was an unfortunate event which should never happen,” he said.
“But the Asaba Massacre, as it is called, was one of the most painful, one of the most terrible aspects of that war.”
Obasanjo said he was deeply affected after receiving documents detailing the massacre from Chuks Nduka-Eze, convener of the Asaba Massacre Memorial.
He expressed sadness that the incident occurred in Nigeria during his lifetime.
The former military ruler urged survivors and relatives of victims to embrace forgiveness as part of the process of healing.
“To all of you assembled: let us keep one thing in mind — forgiveness, forgiveness, and forgiveness again,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of preserving the memory of the massacre to ensure that similar atrocities do not happen again.
Responding to the former president’s appeal, the Asagba of Asaba, Epiphany Azinge, said the community was prepared to forgive but would not erase the memory of those who died or abandon its demand for accountability.
“We may not forget, but certainly, we have to forgive,” Azinge said.
The monarch, however, maintained that the community could not achieve full closure or healing without a public apology from a sitting Nigerian president.
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“There will be no closure, there will be no healing until a sitting President — not an ex-President, but a sitting President — publicly apologises to us,” he said.
Azinge noted that former military Head of State Yakubu Gowon had apologised over the massacre after leaving office, but said the community wanted an apology from an incumbent president.
The monarch also questioned Obasanjo’s call for Nigerians to embrace a “never again” approach, citing the 1999 Odi killings that occurred during Obasanjo’s presidency.
“Coming from him, I was a bit taken aback. How long do we say ‘never again’? But it happened at Odi,” Azinge said.
Despite his demand for a presidential apology, Azinge announced that the Asaba community had forgiven the family of Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo, who was associated with the military operation during the massacre.
“On behalf of the Asaba community, and as the prescribed authority — the Asagba of Asaba — I hereby publicly proclaim that we have forgiven the Taiwo family,” he said.
The monarch said the community had also accepted an apology from retired Major General Ahmed Taiwo, the son of Colonel Taiwo.
The retired general had expressed regret over the events and apologised on behalf of his father and family for any act, omission or commission that may have contributed to the tragedy.
“I know it will not right the wrong, but I believe and pray it is a start towards reconciliation,” he said.
The 59th anniversary commemoration also renewed calls for the Asaba massacre to receive formal national recognition, alongside the establishment of a permanent memorial centre ahead of the 60th anniversary next year.
The massacre took place between October 5 and 7, 1967, in Asaba, present-day Delta State, during the Nigerian Civil War.
Civilians in the community, predominantly Igbo, were among those killed during the military operation by troops of the Nigerian Army’s Second Infantry Division.
