“The Nigerian civil war was not a war against Igbos.”

“The Nigerian civil war was not a war against Igbos.”

Those are the words of former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, 90, as he reflects on one of the darkest chapters in Nigeria’s history.

In an interview with Arise News, the retired Army general stated that the Biafra war (1967–1970) was fought not to target the Igbo people, but to stop the secession of the Eastern Region and preserve Nigeria’s unity.

Gowon, who led the federal government during the war, said the decision to fight was made to prevent the breakup of the country, not to wage war on an ethnic group.

But the scars of that war remain fresh for many in the South East. For a generation that lived through bombings, starvation, and displacement, Gowon’s words are sure to stir debate.

💭 Do you agree with Gowon’s view of history? Or is the pain of Biafra still too deep to rewrite?

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