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Civil war: Gowon should apologise to Ndigbo

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Former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon (Rtd)

Civil war: Gowon should apologise to Ndigbo

The Senator representing Anambra Central, Chief Victor Umeh, has reacted to the recent television interview granted by the former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, on the Nigerian Civil War, saying the 91-year-old former military leader should apologize to Igbo people for betraying the historic Aburi accord and starting a brutal conflict that was aimed at exterminating the Igbo people of Nigeria.

The 30-month civil war claimed millions of lives and destroyed the buoyant economy of the Eastern Region, considered to be the fastest growing economy in Africa the.

Recalling that former President Ibrahim Babangida had in his book stated clearly that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup, Umeh said it is unfortunate for Gowon to concoct lies against a tribe, even at his old age.

Senator Umeh, who spoke in an interview in Awka, said: “I listened to Gowon’s television interview and I felt so sorry for him for the things he said. Igbo people have suffered gravely because of that coup. I felt that with Babangida’s statement during his book launch, that it wasn’t an Igbo coup because he named Yorubas and Northerners that were part of the coup, it was a big relief and I challenge Gowon to write his own book so that Nigerians will read his own version.

“Maybe at 91 years he has forgotten what happened, but some of us who worked with Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and interviewed him about the war, know that what Gowon said was a big lie.

“It was unfortunate for him to say that the war was not against the Igbo people of Nigeria and that he heard about the insurrection in Abeakuta and the assassination of General Aguiyi Ironsi from somewhere, only for him to later emerge as the Head of State after the counter coup.

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“He should apologize to Igbo people for the role he played in that civil war, instead of coming to insult the sensibilities of those who were the victims of the war.”

According to Umeh, the counter coup was the cleansing of the Igbo in the Nigerian Armed Forces, and challenged Gowon to name military officers from his region who were also killed in the counter coup.

“Igbo people were not only killed as military officers, their businesses were also destroyed across Nigeria. Gowon also misrepresented the Aburi accord, which to me, is the greatest travesty. I worked with Ojukwu for five years and I asked him questions about the Aburi accord and he told me that they all agreed on Confederation, which meant that the regions should be confederate units so that every region would continue to develop at its own pace.

“After the agreement, the Ghanaian leader, General Ankra, Gowon and Ojukwu, were at the back of the same car when they were being driven to the airport and Ankra took the hands of Gowon and Ojukwu and joined them and said they should go and implement the Aburi accord. Ojukwu told me that he told Gowon that if he announced details of the accord on their return, he, Ojukwu, would be the first person to nominate him as the Head of State of Nigeria.

Unfortunately when they returned to Nigeria, Gowon didn’t announce the implementation of the Aburi accord as was agreed in Ghana. When he came back, his advisers told him to renege on all the agreements reached at Aburi. Gowon betrayed the Aburi accord reached with Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and lit the fire of a war that devastated the Eastern Region,” Senator Umeh said.

Umeh added that although Gowon claimed that the reason for fighting the civil war was for Nigeria to be one, Nigeria is still not one. He said further: “President Bola Tinubu was in Benue State where the people of Gowon’s zone were being slaughtered on daily basis, which means that he didn’t do anything to make Nigeria a better country. Truth is an open wound and the right thing for him to do is to give the right account of what happened in Nigeria under his watch. He was the one that brought mistrust between the Igbo and Yoruba and Igbo have paid dearly for it.

“When Ojukwu was alive, he was talking and Gowon refused to talk, only for him to start talking because Ojukwu has died, which is unfortunate. General T. Y. Danjuma is still alive and I wonder how he will be feeling after hearing Gowon say that he was not part of the counter coup.”

Civil war: Gowon should apologise to Ndigbo

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UAE imposes fresh travel conditions on Nigerians

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2 hours ago

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July 9, 2025

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UAE imposes fresh travel conditions on Nigerians

– No transit visa for 18-45-year-old

UAE imposes fresh travel conditions on Nigerians

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Nigerians to get 3-month single-entry US visa under new policy

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3 hours ago

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July 9, 2025

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Nigerians to get 3-month single-entry US visa under new policy

The United States Department of State on Tuesday announced updates to its reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy, impacting several countries, including Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the US Embassy in Nigeria said effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.

The statement, however, said that those US non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity.

The US was earlier considering imposing a visa ban on Nigeria.

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“We wish to underscore that, as is standard globally, visa reciprocity is a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity,” the statement published on its website said.

The US visa criteria and standards are designed to protect the integrity of US immigration systems, it stressed, adding, “These standards are based on global technical and security benchmarks.

It said that the US Mission was working with the Government of Nigeria to ensure that Nigeria could meet the criteria.

“Nigerian travellers are encouraged to respect and adhere to the terms of their visas, and ensure travel documents are authentic, accurate, and up to date,” it said.

Nigerians to get 3-month single-entry US visa under new policy

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Pregnant 300-level student accused of setting boyfriend ablaze

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4 hours ago

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July 9, 2025

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University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)

Pregnant 300-level student accused of setting boyfriend ablaze

Tragedy struck in the Choba area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over the weekend when a pregnant 300-level student of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), identified as Cynthia Chukwundah, allegedly burnt her boyfriend, Sunny Amadi (32), to death.

While the exact circumstances leading to Cynthia’s actions are unclear, some neighbours told Daily Trust it might have resulted from a minor argument between the couple.

It was gathered that the deceased is the father of the child Cynthia is carrying.

Residents of the area reported that Cynthia, who fled the scene immediately after the incident, was later arrested by the police operatives and she is also receiving treatment for burns she sustained during the incident.

The incident, which occurred a few minutes after 11pm, saw some public-spirited neighbours rush the deceased to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) for medical treatment, where he unfortunately died.

The police spokesperson in Rivers State, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.

She stated that Cynthia is currently receiving treatment at a hospital due to injuries sustained during the incident.

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Due to her critical condition, she is currently unable to provide a detailed account of the incident but will do so once her condition is stable.

SP Iringe-Koko’s statement read:

“The Rivers State Police Command is aware of and deeply concerned about a report depicting a fire incident that occurred at No. 11B Okoro Street, Choba, Port Harcourt.

“According to the report, one Cynthia Chukwundah, a 300-level female undergraduate of the University of Port Harcourt, allegedly set her boyfriend, one Saint Sunny Amadi, a 32-year-old male from Elibrada community in Emohua LGA, ablaze in a room, resulting in severe injuries.

‘’He was rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) for medical treatment.

“Upon receiving the report at about 1112 hours, police detectives from Choba Division promptly visited the scene and the victim, who was in critical condition at the hospital. ‘’Unfortunately, the victim later succumbed to injuries and died while on admission.

“The police have located Cynthia, who is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital due to injuries she also sustained during the incident.

‘’She is also heavily pregnant with the deceased’s child. Due to her critical condition, she is unable to provide a detailed account of the incident but will do so when her condition is stable.

“The probable cause of the fire incident is yet to be ascertained, and a thorough investigation has been launched to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further developments will be made public as more information becomes available.”

Pregnant 300-level student accused of setting boyfriend ablaze

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