IPOB Slams Gowon Over Civil War Remarks, Accuses Him of Historical Distortion
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has condemned former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, over his recent comments on the Nigerian Civil War, describing them as a “provocative, insensitive, and shameless” attempt to rewrite history and whitewash alleged atrocities committed during the conflict.
Gowon, speaking during the fifth Convention of the Christian Men’s Fellowship of the Diocese of Abuja at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, Abuja, reportedly stated that the Nigerian Civil War, fought between 1967 and 1970, was not motivated by hatred but was a necessary step to preserve the unity of the country. He also stressed the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation, and national unity across ethnic and religious lines.
Reacting in a press statement issued on Monday, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, rejected Gowon’s narrative, asserting that it distorts historical facts and dishonors the memory of the millions of Biafrans who lost their lives. Powerful described the former Head of State’s comments as a deliberate insult to victims of what IPOB terms a premeditated genocidal campaign against the Biafran people.
According to the statement, IPOB accused Gowon of overseeing mass atrocities during the war, including widespread starvation, aerial bombardments, and mass executions. The group likened Gowon’s legacy to that of Adolf Hitler, claiming over five million Biafrans were killed under his leadership.
IPOB also raised several questions regarding Gowon’s role in the events leading up to the war, particularly his alleged failure to honor the Aburi Accord reached with Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. The group questioned Gowon’s motives during the pre-war negotiations and accused him of submitting Nigeria’s sovereignty to foreign influence.
The group criticized Gowon’s characterization of the January 1966 coup as an “Igbo plot,” arguing that historical evidence contradicts this view. They also blamed him for dismantling the regional structure of government in favor of a centralized system, which they say was designed to exploit the natural resources of the Biafran region.
IPOB further accused Gowon of using periodic public speeches to provoke rather than heal, stating that his refusal to acknowledge the alleged genocide demonstrates a lack of remorse. The group maintained that Nigeria remains a colonial construct that suppresses its diverse ethnic nationalities under the guise of unity.
Reaffirming its commitment to the Biafran cause, IPOB called on all Biafrans at home and abroad to reject what it termed Gowon’s “revisionist narrative.” The group insisted that Nigeria’s unity is a myth sustained by coercion and exploitation, and that the time for truth, justice, and self-determination is now.
