Fifty-nine years after soldiers killed hundreds of civilians during the Nigerian Civil War, the Federal Government is preparing to issue an official reconciliation declaration regarding the 1967 Asaba Massacre.
According to a report by the PUNCH, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori announced the planned reconciliation during the anniversary memorial in Asaba on Wednesday. Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu, the governor stated that official recognition from both state and federal levels is necessary toward national healing.
The Delta State government has officially acknowledged the event and is currently working to build a national memorial centre. The proposed site will document and preserve the names, personal testimonies, and historical records of the victims for future generations.
Meanwhile, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, insisted that true closure and healing requires action from the presidency.
“We have moved on. But there will be no closure and no healing until a sitting President of Nigeria publicly apologises to the Asaba people”, Azinge.
As a step to foster the reconciliation process, retired Major General Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo publicly apologised for the role his late father, Major Ibrahim Taiwo, played in the 1967 massacre. He explained that he spent years researching his father’s actions and offered the apology as a step to aid the reconciliation process.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also addressed the gathering through a recorded message. He described the massacre as one of the darkest days of the civil war and urged Nigerians to embrace forgiveness.
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