Introduction General Yakubu Gowon, now over 90, remains alive to witness Nigeria in 2026. He sees his home state of Plateau ravaged by massa...
Introduction
General Yakubu Gowon, now over 90, remains alive to witness Nigeria in 2026. He sees his home state of Plateau ravaged by massacres, banditry, and displacement. Many Biafrans view this as divine justice — the biblical principle of Galatians 6:7: “God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap.” This piece examines the allegations of crimes committed under Gowon’s leadership during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) and why some interpret Plateau’s suffering as a consequence.
1. The Road to War
Gowon came to power after the July 1966 counter-coup that killed General Aguiyi-Ironsi. In the months that followed, coordinated pogroms against Igbos and other Easterners in the North killed between 10,000 and 30,000 people. Hundreds of thousands fled to the East. Gowon, aged 31, became Head of State but failed to stop the killings or punish the perpetrators.
In January 1967, Gowon and Odumegwu Ojukwu agreed on a confederation at Aburi, Ghana. Gowon later backed away from the deal. On May 27, 1967, he created 12 states, fragmenting the Eastern Region and depriving the Igbo heartland of oil resources and access to the sea. Ojukwu declared Biafra’s independence on May 30. War began on July 6, 1967.
2. War Crimes and Starvation as Policy
The federal government adopted a harsh strategy against Biafra.
The Blockade: A total land, sea, and air blockade prevented food and medicine from entering Biafra. Red Cross planes were shot down. Chief Obafemi Awolowo famously defended the policy: “Starvation is one of the weapons of war.” The result was widespread famine and kwashiorkor. Estimates of civilian deaths range from 1 to 3 million, mostly children and women.
Civilian Bombings: Nigerian forces bombed markets, hospitals, churches, and refugee camps, including Ahiara Market and Uzuakoli Leper Colony.
Asaba Massacre: In October 1967, federal troops killed over 700 men and boys in Asaba after they had been gathered to celebrate “One Nigeria.” Women were raped and homes burned. No serious accountability followed.
3. The Genocide Question
Biafrans argue these actions meet the UN definition of genocide: intent to destroy, in whole or in part, an ethnic group through killing, serious harm, and infliction of destructive conditions. They cite the pre-war pogroms, the deliberate blockade, repeated civilian bombings, and post-war policies like the “20 Pounds” rule that reduced Igbo bank accounts regardless of balance and the “Abandoned Property” seizures.
Gowon has always rejected the genocide label, promoting “No Victor, No Vanquished” and the 3Rs (Reconciliation, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation). Critics say true reconciliation never occurred due to the lack of truth, apology, or accountability.
4. The Plateau “Harvest”
Gowon is from Pankshin, Plateau State. For years, Plateau has suffered relentless attacks by armed herders, bandits, and insurgents. Churches are burned, entire villages razed, and thousands displaced. Many Biafrans see this as poetic justice: the man who oversaw starvation and civilian deaths in Biafra now watches his own people suffer similar violence — markets attacked, children killed, communities displaced. They invoke scripture: the iniquity of fathers visited upon children (Exodus 20:5), arguing that Nigeria’s failure to confront the truth of the war has kept a cycle of violence alive.
5. Moral and Spiritual Questions
Critics ask whether it is fair to hold Gowon’s ethnic community responsible for his decisions. Others counter that nations bear collective consequences when leaders commit grave acts, and the nation refuses to repent through truth-telling and justice. Gowon later founded “Nigeria Prays” and preached national repentance. Many Biafrans respond: prayer without restitution is empty. He has never visited Asaba or Uzuakoli to acknowledge the suffering.
Conclusion
General Gowon is a living witness to both the war he led and the insecurity now consuming parts of Nigeria, including his own region. Whether one sees current violence as divine retribution, political failure, or tragic coincidence, the wounds of 1967–1970 remain unhealed. True peace requires confronting history honestly — not through slogans, but through truth and justice. Many Biafrans believe “One Nigeria” as currently structured cannot deliver this. That separation may be necessary to end the cycle of bloodshed.
Written by
Fafa-Maintain
Edited by
Oge Izuwa
For
Abia State Media Team
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