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How Ojukwu ‘deliberately frustrated’ Nigeria’s last peace chance before Civil War — Gowon

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Abdulsalami Reveals Why Ojukwu Rejected Gowon as Nigeria’s Leader
Yakubu Gowon and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

How Ojukwu ‘deliberately frustrated’ Nigeria’s last peace chance before Civil War — Gowon

ABUJA — Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has reopened one of the most painful chapters in Nigeria’s history, accusing late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, of frustrating repeated efforts to stop the country from sliding into civil war. The claim is contained in Gowon’s newly released 859-page autobiography, “My Life of Duty and Allegiance,” which offers a deeply personal account of the failed peace talks, political mistrust, and constitutional disputes that shattered negotiations between the federal military government and the Eastern Region before the 1967–1970 Nigerian Civil War. Gowon, now 92 years old, spoke extensively in the autobiography about the tensions that followed the January and July 1966 coups and the events that eventually pushed Nigeria into a 30-month war that claimed an estimated one to three million lives. The book was launched at a well-attended ceremony at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Ojukwu deliberately and effectively thwarted every effort we made to amicably resolve our national issues,” Gowon wrote in the memoir. The former military ruler said several attempts were made to reach a political settlement after the killings of Igbos in parts of Northern Nigeria triggered outrage, fear, and growing separatist pressure in the Eastern Region. According to him, the federal military government agreed to the January 1967 meeting in Aburi, Ghana, believing dialogue could still prevent the collapse of the federation. “We went to Aburi with open minds and with the sincere hope of finding a basis for national reconciliation,” Gowon wrote. The meeting, brokered by former Ghanaian leader Lt.-Gen. Joseph Arthur Ankrah, brought together Nigeria’s top military officers at a time the country was already under severe strain from coups, ethnic killings, and deepening distrust within the armed forces.

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But Gowon said the talks ran into trouble after both sides returned from Ghana with different interpretations of what had been agreed. In a separate interview on Arise TV, Gowon provided further details on the fundamental disagreement that derailed the accord, revealing that Ojukwu’s demand for regional control of military forces was a red line the federal government could not cross. “Although we said that the military would be zoned, you know, the control… he wanted, you know, those zones to be commanded by the governor. Say you have a military zone in the north, it would be commanded by the governor of the military in the north; the military zone in the east would be commanded by, you know, by him,” Gowon explained. “Of course, we did not agree with that one.” Gowon emphasized that the federal delegation never intended the summit to serve as a platform for constitutional restructuring or military devolution. “What was presented by Ojukwu as the Aburi Accord was, in reality, his own interpretation of our discussions,” he wrote.

The former leader also disclosed that he was unwell upon returning from the summit and unable to respond promptly to the terms Ojukwu had announced publicly, which he said led to confusion. “Unfortunately, I know people would not believe it, I was having a serious attack of a kind of fever or whatever it is, and I could not make a decision,” he noted. Gowon accused Ojukwu of acting unilaterally by announcing the accord’s outcome without mutual clarification. To address the ambiguity, Gowon said the federal government organized a follow-up meeting in Benin City with all regional governors — an effort Ojukwu ultimately snubbed, citing safety concerns. “We had to organise a meeting of all the governors. And he was invited to attend so that we can deal with the Accord. And we met at Nifo in Benin. And he did not turn up,” Gowon recounted. He expressed regret that the opportunity to salvage the accord was lost due to Ojukwu’s absence. “If he had come to that meeting, we could have resolved it.”

Beyond the diplomatic breakdown, Gowon’s autobiography contains explosive allegations that Ojukwu was secretly preparing for war even as peace talks progressed. The former head of state claimed that the Eastern Region’s arms build-up suffered a setback in October 1966 after a DC-4 aircraft carrying weapons crashed in the hills of Northern Cameroon. “It did not matter that his plan was to buy some more time to enable him to stockpile arms and ammunition. We were also mindful that he had cleverly planned to apply the brakes on our ability to deploy the numerical advantage of the existing firepower of the Nigerian Army,” Gowon wrote. In a dramatic revelation, Gowon’s autobiography alleges that France supported Ojukwu’s secessionist efforts in exchange for control of Biafra’s mineral deposits. The former head of state wrote that Ojukwu mortgaged the mineral wealth of Biafra to the Rothschild banking family for approximately $10 million (about N5 million at the time) to secure French-backed support for the rebel government. According to Gowon, as the war intensified, France provided the rebel government with enormous support through the former African territories it controlled, with the backing provided in exchange for what France hoped to gain from a successful Biafran breakaway. The true depth of the transaction only became known when the Nigerian Consulate in New York intercepted intelligence on a B-26 aircraft purchase routed through a South American country.

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Gowon further alleged that Ojukwu confirmed the arms stockpiling during a meeting in Enugu in May 1967 with a delegation of the National Conciliation Committee comprising Obafemi Awolowo, Samuel Aluko, Jereton Mariere, and J.I.C. Onyia. According to Gowon, Ojukwu declared during that meeting that the Eastern Region had attained “equality of arms,” which would allow it to negotiate Nigeria’s future from a position of strength. Gowon quoted Ojukwu as saying: “Quietly I built up. If you do not know it, I am proud, and my officers are proud, that here in the East we possess the biggest army in Black Africa. I am no longer speaking as an underdog; I am speaking from a position of power.” However, Gowon dismissed Ojukwu’s claim as exaggeration, insisting that federal forces still maintained a clear military advantage. “I did not believe Ojukwu’s play to the gallery; I only said to myself that we would see about that,” he wrote.

The memoir also sheds light on the early tensions between the two leaders, revealing that Ojukwu opposed Gowon’s emergence as Head of State after the July 1966 counter-coup. Gowon disclosed that Ojukwu preferred Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, the most senior officer in the army hierarchy, to succeed the murdered Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. “Ojukwu refused my offer of friendship. By extension, he wilfully refused to recognise my leadership,” Gowon wrote. Despite Ojukwu’s refusal to recognise his authority, Gowon said he retained him as military governor of the Eastern Region in what he described as an altruistic decision. “My decision to retain Ojukwu in office was altogether altruistic though subsequent events made it seem a huge mistake,” he wrote. Gowon also revealed that he personally intervened to stop any move against Ojukwu, as some northern officers believed the Eastern governor was complicit in the January 15, 1966 coup that led to the assassination of key northern political and military leaders.

Gowon also defended the federal military government’s decision to create 12 states shortly before Biafra’s declaration, saying the move was aimed at addressing fears of domination among minority ethnic groups. According to him, several minority communities in the old Eastern Region wanted direct recognition from the federal government and feared being politically overshadowed. “The creation of states was intended to give all groups a sense of belonging within Nigeria,” he wrote. Gowon rejected claims that the federal government was eager for war, insisting that military confrontation became unavoidable only after the declaration of Biafra on May 30, 1967. The former military ruler also defended the ‘No Victor, No Vanquished’ policy announced at the end of the Civil War in January 1970, saying reconciliation and reintegration were necessary to rebuild the country after years of bloodshed. “We fought to keep Nigeria one, not to destroy a people,” Gowon wrote. “We had to think about the future of the country beyond the bitterness of war,” he added. “We exhausted every peaceful avenue available to us. But Nigeria had to survive.”

Gowon’s claims have not gone unchallenged. The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, swiftly rejected the former head of state’s account, accusing him of rewriting history. The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Ikechukwu Oji, insisted that Gowon was the one who reneged on the Aburi Peace Accord. “The Aburi Peace Accord was signed and the specific terms and conditions were stated in a document that is available in the archive,” Oji said. “Unfortunately, after Gowon got home from Ghana, he was wrongly advised by some international bodies and locals not to implement the agreement that had been signed.” Similarly, a group called Rising Sun accused Gowon of distorting history, arguing that the demand for regional control of security forces was a legitimate push for justice and true federalism. “If Nigeria had followed the Aburi Accord in its true form, there would have been no war. There would have been no genocide,” the group’s statement read.

The Aburi meeting, held from January 4–5, 1967, was one of the last-ditch efforts to preserve Nigeria’s unity in the face of mounting ethnic tensions. The failure to implement the accord ultimately paved the way for the declaration of the Republic of Biafra and the onset of a brutal civil war. The book presentation attracted significant financial backing from Nigeria’s economic elite, with former Defence Minister Theophilus Danjuma donating three billion naira and ordering copies distributed to twenty university libraries. Industrialist Aliko Dangote contributed 500 million naira, while businessman Abdul Samad Rabiu purchased copies worth 25 million naira. Speaking at the launch, former President Goodluck Jonathan lamented that valuable chapters of West African history are routinely lost when key actors remain silent, while Catholic Bishop Matthew Kukah described the volume as an important masterclass in selfless stewardship.

How Ojukwu ‘deliberately frustrated’ Nigeria’s last peace chance before Civil War — Gowon

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Army-UNIOSUN Clash: University Faults Military’s Position on Alleged Hostel Assault

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July 4, 2026

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Army-UNIOSUN Clash: University Faults Military's Position on Alleged Hostel Assault

Army-UNIOSUN Clash: University Faults Military’s Position on Alleged Hostel Assault

OSOGBO – The management of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has publicly rejected the position of the Depot Nigerian Army, Osogbo, regarding allegations of sexual assault involving military personnel and students, insisting that survivors of sexual violence should never be compelled to report directly to institutions linked to alleged perpetrators .

The disagreement stems from allegations that military recruits from the Nigerian Army Depot in Osogbo invaded private student hostels on June 29, assaulting students, sexually harassing female students, and carting away mobile phones and other valuables . The Vice Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, described the incident as one of the “darkest moments” in the institution’s recent history and referred to the perpetrators as “misfits” unfit to serve in the Nigerian Army . The university’s response follows an earlier statement by the Depot Nigerian Army, which said it had not received any formal complaint or credible evidence to substantiate rape allegations linked to recently passed-out personnel, even as it reaffirmed that an ongoing investigation would be thorough and transparent .

In a statement issued on Friday by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Depot Nigerian Army Osogbo, Major Ibrahim Yahaya, the Army stated that the allegations had been attributed to the Vice Chancellor and amplified on social media platforms . The Army appealed to victims and witnesses of the alleged assault at the UNIOSUN hostels to provide evidence to assist its ongoing investigation into allegations of misconduct involving some recently passed-out military personnel . The Army stated that the Board of Inquiry, which was formed earlier to probe charges against its personnel, is still in operation and would “leave no stone unturned” . It assured that any personnel found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other extant laws . The military also disclosed that some personnel involved have been apprehended and are undergoing disciplinary procedures .

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In a statement issued on Friday by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, the institution welcomed the Army’s decision to establish a Board of Inquiry but expressed concerns about the expectation that alleged victims should report directly to the same institution whose personnel are under investigation . According to the university, such an approach ignores the trauma, fear, intimidation, and psychological barriers that frequently prevent survivors of sexual violence from reporting directly to organisations affiliated with the alleged offenders . The institution also rejected any suggestion that it should reveal the identities of affected students or compel them to appear before military authorities . “Osun State University owes every student a duty of care, confidentiality and protection. The University will not compromise the privacy, dignity or safety of any student by disclosing identities without their informed consent or in contravention of applicable laws,” the statement said .

UNIOSUN stressed that the welfare and safety of its students remain its top priority, adding that the Vice-Chancellor would continue to support students who report harassment, assault, or abuse . According to the statement, “The Vice-Chancellor’s earlier comments were not intended to prejudge the outcome of any investigation or sensationalise the matter but were made in fulfilment of the University’s responsibility to address concerns affecting the safety and well-being of its students” . The university maintained that investigations into sexual assault charges should be victim-centred, independent, transparent, and capable of inspiring public trust . “The University believes that survivors of sexual violence should never be placed in circumstances where they may reasonably fear intimidation or victimisation by being required to report directly to those connected with the subject of an investigation,” the statement added .

UNIOSUN also disagreed with the Depot Nigerian Army’s characterisation of the Vice-Chancellor’s comments as unconfirmed or potentially misleading, insisting that the remarks were made responsibly, in good faith, and in accordance with the institution’s statutory and moral obligation to protect its students . The university further announced that it had instructed its legal advisers to commence appropriate legal proceedings to safeguard the integrity of the institution, the reputation of the Vice-Chancellor and the interests of its students . “The appropriate judicial process provides the proper forum for resolving the issues arising from this unfortunate development,” the statement said .

Army-UNIOSUN Clash: University Faults Military’s Position on Alleged Hostel Assault

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Gunmen Kill Retired Army Officer, Abduct Woman in Nasarawa Community

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July 4, 2026

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Gunmen Kill Retired Army Officer, Abduct Woman in Nasarawa Community

Gunmen Kill Retired Army Officer, Abduct Woman in Nasarawa Community

NASARAWA – Suspected gunmen have killed a retired Nigerian Army officer and abducted a woman during a midnight attack on a residential community in Nasarawa State bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) , heightening security concerns along the Abuja outskirts .

The attack occurred at approximately 12:45 am on Friday at Plot 038, PGC Community, located along the Nasarawa-FCT border near Jikwoyi . Police sources confirmed that the assailants invaded the residence of Silas Orite, 46, and forcibly abducted his wife, Bukola Oluwatoyin Silas, 40, taking her to an unknown destination . During the attack, the Community Chief Security Officer, Master Warrant Officer Reuben Yelwa, 61, a retired Nigerian Army personnel, responded in an attempt to assist the family but was shot dead by the assailants . The retired officer’s intervention came as the attackers were carrying out the raid.

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Police officers visited the scene after the attack, documented evidence, and commenced investigations into the incident . According to security sources, security operatives have intensified efforts to rescue the abducted woman unharmed and track down those responsible for the attack . Area domination operations have been reinforced in and around the community to prevent further criminal activities, while patrols have been stepped up along the FCT-Nasarawa border . Authorities have called on residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies.

The incident adds to growing concerns over insecurity in communities located along the Nasarawa-FCT border, where residents have repeatedly called for stronger security measures to curb kidnappings and violent crimes . The area has experienced increasing criminal activities, with kidnappers and bandits exploiting the porous boundaries between the FCT and Nasarawa State to evade security forces . This latest attack follows a pattern of violence in border communities, where criminal elements have targeted residents for abduction and robbery . In recent months, police have arrested several armed robbery suspects operating between Jikwoyi and Nasarawa State, highlighting the security challenges facing the region . The police have urged residents to report suspicious persons or activities through the command’s emergency lines as investigations continue.

Gunmen Kill Retired Army Officer, Abduct Woman in Nasarawa Community

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MURIC Appeals ISI Hijab Judgment, Seeks Stay of Execution

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July 4, 2026

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MURIC Appeals ISI Hijab Judgment, Seeks Stay of Execution
MURIC Oyo State General Secretary, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade

MURIC Appeals ISI Hijab Judgment, Seeks Stay of Execution

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Oyo State Chapter, has filed a notice of appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the International School, University of Ibadan (ISI) hijab case and urged the school management not to enforce its directive banning the use of hijab pending the determination of its application for a stay of execution.

The organisation disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by its General Secretary, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, following a notice reportedly issued by the management of ISI directing that, with effect from Monday, July 6, 2026, female students would no longer be permitted to wear the hijab with the school uniform.

According to MURIC, the directive was based on the judgment delivered earlier on Friday by the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, which overturned the May 22, 2024, ruling of the Oyo State High Court that had recognised the right of 11 Muslim female students to wear the hijab as part of their school uniform.

The group, however, said it had immediately commenced the appellate process by filing and serving a Notice of Appeal, alongside a Motion for Stay of Execution/Injunction Pending Appeal before the appropriate court.

MURIC argued that the filing of the appeal means the legal dispute has not been concluded and that the rights of the affected Muslim students remain subject to further judicial determination.

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“The filing and service of these processes signify that the legal contest is far from concluded,” the organisation said.

It maintained that implementing the Court of Appeal judgment before the pending application for a stay of execution is determined would be inappropriate and could prejudice the judicial process.

The group therefore called on the management of the International School, University of Ibadan, to exercise restraint and refrain from enforcing the directive pending the court’s decision on its application.

According to MURIC, taking steps to implement the judgment at this stage could render the pending application ineffective and heighten tensions within the school community.

The organisation reiterated its commitment to resolving the dispute through lawful means, stressing that the protection of fundamental rights and peaceful coexistence can only be guaranteed through respect for due process and judicial proceedings.

MURIC also appealed to Muslim parents, guardians, students and members of the Muslim community to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while the legal process continues.

It urged stakeholders to avoid any action capable of disrupting public peace, expressing confidence that the courts would ultimately determine the matter in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing all available legal remedies in defence of what it described as the constitutional rights of Muslim students.

The latest development comes hours after the Court of Appeal, in a split decision, held that ISI is a private school because it does not receive direct government subventions and ruled that the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment recognising the right of Muslim students to wear the hijab applies only to publicly funded schools.

The appellate court also held that the affected students voluntarily accepted the school’s dress code upon admission. However, it upheld the finding that confining the students to the school library over their use of the hijab violated their rights, although it reduced the damages awarded by the High Court.

The case is expected to proceed to the Supreme Court, where the final determination on the dispute over the use of the hijab at ISI will be made.

 

MURIC Appeals ISI Hijab Judgment, Seeks Stay of Execution

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