Obasanjo Warns Some Causes of Nigeria’s 1967 Civil War Still Persist

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo

Obasanjo Warns Some Causes of Nigeria’s 1967 Civil War Still Persist

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that some of the underlying issues that triggered the 1967–1970 Nigerian Civil War remain unresolved, urging Nigerians to learn from history and work collectively to prevent another national conflict.

Obasanjo made the remarks on Wednesday during the presentation of a historical publication titled “Asaba Massacre”, authored by the Isama Ajie of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The former president, who served as a military commander during the civil war, acknowledged his role in the conflict but admitted that he could not provide a personal account of the controversial Asaba Massacre, one of the most debated incidents of the war.

“You know that I was involved in the civil war, but when people talk about the Asaba Massacre, I always confess that I cannot give details of it,” Obasanjo said.

He, however, expressed concern that several of the political, ethnic and institutional issues that contributed to the outbreak of the civil war continue to exist in present-day Nigeria.

“Some of the things that led to the Civil War are still on. Now, how long will this be with us?” he asked.

Obasanjo recalled a conversation with former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who reportedly warned that Nigeria might not survive another civil war.

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“I was with a colleague when General Yakubu Gowon said, ‘We will not survive a second civil war as a country.’ I believe that we have fought one civil war too many already. So, to say that we will have a second civil war—God forbid,” he said.

He stressed that Nigerians must draw lessons from the country’s history by condemning actions that resulted in unnecessary loss of lives and ensuring such events never recur.

“We condemn what happened that should not have happened, and then make sure that we do everything humanly possible to prevent its recurrence,” he added.

Obasanjo also commended the author for producing what he described as a well-researched historical work supported by eyewitness testimonies, archival records, recorded interviews, audio-visual documentation and established historical scholarship.

According to him, preserving historical records is essential to promoting national reconciliation, accountability and educating future generations.

“We pride ourselves that we preserve the past, we capture the present, and we inspire the future. We capture the past, and this is the past; we want to capture it, we want to know about it,” he stated.

Presenting the publication, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze said the book documents extensive evidence surrounding the events that unfolded in Asaba, then part of the Mid-West Region, following the entry of federal troops into the town during the civil war in October 1967.

He explained that the publication draws on eyewitness testimonies, archival materials, recorded interviews, audio-visual evidence and other historical records to reconstruct the events.

According to Nduka-Eze, the evidence indicates that civilians were assembled in public places and instructed to demonstrate loyalty to Nigeria by chanting “One Nigeria” before men were separated from women and children.

He alleged that many unarmed male civilians were subsequently killed despite publicly affirming their allegiance to the Nigerian state.

“Compliance with these demands did not secure protection. The sequence, repeated across testimonies, reflects a tragic contradiction in which individuals who openly affirmed their identity and loyalty as Nigerians were nonetheless killed by the same Nigerian State they pledged allegiance to,” he said.

Although historians differ on the exact casualty figures, Nduka-Eze noted that available evidence points to the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians, making the Asaba Massacre one of the deadliest civilian tragedies associated with the Nigerian Civil War.

The Asaba Massacre remains one of the most widely discussed episodes of the civil war. While historians continue to debate aspects of the incident, many agree that it underscores the devastating human cost of the conflict and the importance of preserving historical records for national reflection and reconciliation.

Obasanjo’s remarks come amid ongoing national conversations on national unity, inclusive governance, ethnic relations, justice and restructuring, issues that many observers believe remain central to Nigeria’s political and social development decades after the civil war ended.