Nigerian lawyer and Human Rights activists, Barr Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo, has disagreed with former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon,q on the cause of the 30-month Nigeria Civil War that broke out in 1967.
Gen Gowon had claimed in a recent interview with Daily Trust newspaper that the “desire to secede by the South East Region” was what led to the breakout of hostilities and eventually Civil War that lasted for 30 odd months. Gowon turned 90 two days ago.
But writing on his verified X handle @MalcolmInfiniti, which he also shared on other social media handles of his, Barrister Omirhobo argued that Gowon’s weak leadership, immaturity, youthful exuberance and his failure to stop the attacks on Igbos, particularly in the North and his refusal to implement the Aburi Accord led to qqqqqqqqqthe Civil War and not a desire to secede by the Igbos.
The single post reads:
“It is not true that South-East desire to secede that led to the Nigeria/Biafra War but rather it was Gowon’s poor and weak leadership style, colonial mentality, youthful exuberance and immaturity that led to the Nigerian /Biafran war .
“Gowon refused , failed and/or neglected to stop the senseless killing of the Igbos and their look alikes through out Nigeria especially in the North by civilians and members of the armed forces . He refused to provide funds to the Eastern Region Government to cater for the injured and displaced Igbos that ran to their home land for safety from all parts of Nigeria . Gowon without any good reason refused the Aburi Accord . For the records the Igbo fought in self defence,” the activist wrote.
The Nigerian civil war was fought between 1967 and 1970. Gowon was the Head of State between August 1, 1966 and July 29, 1975.
Gowon had argued in the interview that “It got to the stage that the situation was getting pretty clear that a part of the country, the South-east wanted to secede,”
The former head of state then asked south-east residents to embrace national unity, stating that “Biafra’s dissolution followed Nigerians’ acceptance of reintegration and unity”.
Speaking further about the war, Gowon said: “Sometimes I say to myself that I don’t mind being called the Abraham Lincoln of Nigeria because we had a similar situation and we were able to achieve the same result.
“I remember that one English journalist asked why I thought the war was over — what if the people continued with guerrilla warfare?
“But thank God there was no guerrilla.”
