Shehu Gazali Sadiq, an advocate of good governance in Nigerian, recently shared his father’s recollections of the war between Nigeria and the old Eastern Region, which sought to secede and establish the Republic of Biafra.
Sadiq, who did not personally experience the civil war, relayed his father’s account via his social media X handle. His father maintained that the Igbos did not instigate the civil war but were merely defending themselves. He affirmed that it was Gowon who initiated the conflict.
Sadiq’s remarks were made in the wake of a meeting between Yakubu Gowon and Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa. This meeting occurred amidst the prevailing economic hardship in the country. Reflecting on the Biafra-Nigeria war, Gowon admitted and said, I recall when I started the civil war, “I was criticized for being too slow and there were doubts about Nigeria’s ability to succeed. There were calls for negotiations. But did we not overcome? Many do not understand the underlying challenges, and that’s the situation we find ourselves in.”
