The Asaba Massacre: Witness and Survivors.

On the 5th of October 1967 during the Nigerian civil war, Federal troops led by Muritala Muhammed entered Asaba town on the west bank of the Niger River and began a killing spree while chasing fleeing

Biafran soldiers to the eastern part of the country which just declared itself independent from Nigeria.

They got to the Niger Bridge which separates the new country from Nigeria and discovered it has been destroyed. The federal troops returned to Asaba and continued killing, looting, raping young girls and destroying properties. On the 6th of October the elders of the town gathered together to organise a welcome dance for the soldiers in a bid to stop the killings. The following day, which was on the 7th they were asked to gather together both male and female at a place called Saint Joseph field, Present day Arcade. The men were separated from the women and were led to a place called Ogbe Osowa, a machine gun was stationed and all of a sudden they opened fire on the men killing over 2,000 men.

After months of intense research by visiting this space and enquiring from witnesses and survivors of the Asaba massacre, i made audio and video recordings of some of the surivivors who saw that fateful day when death came to town They came with a hit list going from house to house seeking specific persons to execute.

THE BEGINNING/WHY ASABA

Asaba was the most recognized town in the south west when Nigeria was still under British rule, noted for having some of the most educated figures who were among the elites in the country Mungo Park and the Lander Brothers settled in Asaba and loved the way people were organized. The people also learned their ways and became wise, even till date there are still evidence of British presence in Asaba.

Major Chukwu Kaduna Nzeogwu a man who began the 1966 coup was from Okpanam, a town 5 kilometers to Asaba although born and bred in the north, he was more northern than southern.

Gowon was the head of state but did not have the power over the north, Muritala muhammed was a representation of the Muslim and Islamic northern power, the caliphate power. (One Asaba Man killed the sultan and no Asaba man will be spared) It was premeditated among some Nigerian Elites.

The north saw Asaba as part of Biafra calling them Ojukwu brothers.

RETRIBUTION

As these troops came into Asaba on the 5th, they began to kill boys from the age of 12 and also men.

Getrude Ogunkeye quotes ‘I saw soldiers hold a young boy and he was pleading with them and also beckoned to some women who were passing by to help him explain to the soldiers that he is a student of saint Patrick’s college and not a Biafran soldiers, Suddenly they shot him and as he fell to the ground, a lorry ran him over’. Families who were on the list were located and wiped out completely; there was an account of a family who lost 8 men in one go.

After the mass killing at Ogbe Osowa on the 7th, killings still went on in small scale Killings went on in various areas of town and was confirmed by different witnesses I spoke with in the cause of my research, Mr Okafor one of my witness lost two brothers during this few days and he said, they were killed on Nnebisi Road and I had to bury them after identifying their bodies with the clothes they wore three weeks later.

The troops still remained in Asaba after taking over town and not being able to advance as a result of the destroyed bridge and every effort to pass through the river by boat has been futile, they looted houses and raped as many women they could lay hands on. A hit list was passed to Muritala Mohammed with the address of every anioma indigenes that had already fled to be killed.

As this event continued for weeks, the government suppressed every news leaving Nigeria, telling the outside world that effort to make Nigeria one again was going on smoothly. As most of the media personnel’s were stationed in Lagos and only carried news of the war by whatever information they got from soldiers. Gradually people from Asaba who were able to escape into Onitsha gave the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations information about the massacre with images to bear witness.

Head of state at the time General Yakubu Gowon denied having any knowledge of the massacre saying

Captain Mohammed acted alone without his consent, amid tears he apologized to the people of Asaba during a visit to the Azagba of Asaba in 2002. Every field officer was supposed to send situation reports to Lagos the headquarters, but Muritala mohammed didn’t. That was why Gowon continued to maintain he had no knowledge of the Asaba genocide. Philip Asiodu was a secretary to Gowon’s government and his brother Sidney Asiodu was killed. He had no knowledge until three months later; there was no way anyone would have believed that Gowons government do not know any of this was going on.

To some extent I believe Gowon had no knowledge of the Asaba massacre due to his advisers were people who wanted retribution than keeping Nigeria one. He could not pull out Muhammad from the field because Muhammad was a very stubborn soldier; it took the intervention of Anthony Enahoro to pull Muhammad from the field after evidence of the massacre had spread among mainstream media channels around the world.

Gowon was Christian and Muhammed had the support of other Muslim generals in the military at the time

THE IMPACT ON THE VILLAGERS;

The town was thrown into mourning, agony filled the whole place. People who lost their houses sought shelter at the catholic missions which was the saint Patricks College. The saint Patrick’s college became a refugee camp and the numbers continued to swell both with sick and injured people because it was the safest place in town as people feared the soldiers may still strike. According to Ogbueshi Anthony

Egbuiwe the moment you open your food for a second, flies take over immediately and render it useless.

The whole place was an eyesore. Women were left to bury their husbands and sons whom they lost to the massacre. They were left with the responsibility of rebuilding their burnt houses and raise their children. Some women followed the soldiers who could provide them comfort because it was the only way to survive. The soldiers had food enough to last them as long as the war lasted.

People began to look for relatives and loved ones, and anyone who was not found was presumed dead until his or her appearance proves otherwise. According to lizzy okonjo, my mother could not deal with the pain of my uncle’s death. Himself and two other men were asked to dig their graves were shot inside. For months she cried her heart out, it was a devastating blow.

I thought about the effect it had on the women and the young girls who were of married age. During my numerous visits to Asaba in the cause of this research, I found out how enterprising the young women are. I believe they learnt that spirit of hard work from their mothers who survived the war and built their daughters to be independent. I documented some of the historical spaces in the city where these events occurred.

REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DAMAGE

Late Professor Chinua Achebe quotes that ‘There have been a deep seated reluctance to discuss the war and its consequence among Nigerian Elites ’ The federal government of Nigeria has refused to acknowledge that people were massacred in Asaba during the civil war. What the people want is the government to acknowledge and apologize then we can begin to talk about reconciliation. There has to be some acknowledgement of wrong doing before we begin to consider forgiveness said a member of the reconciliation committee.

COMPENSATION:

The people want the government to build a hospital at the very site in OGBE OSOWA where this massacre took place. The government should pay the owners of houses in OGBE OSOWA and use the place for a memorial museum where the names of every victim who lost their lives will be listed. The government should also build a hospital named PLACE OF MY BIRTH HOSPITAL in Asaba. There should be the University of Asaba where every indigene will attend free of charge said a spokesman for the Memorial committee.