Igbo Women Group Accuses Gowon of Lying About Civil War Motive

General Yakubu Gowon (retd)

The Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), a prominent pan-Igbo women’s group, has strongly criticized former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd), for claiming the civil war was fought to preserve Nigeria’s unity.

In a statement on Sunday, IWA President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, dismissed Gowon’s remarks as dishonest, insisting that the war was driven by Gowon’s personal ambition rather than national interest. She urged him to offer a public apology to the Igbo people as a step toward genuine reconciliation.

“Gowon’s statement that he fought for unity is far from the truth,” Chimezie said. “If the war was about unity, what effort did he make to heal the wounds after declaring ‘no victor, no vanquished’?”

She argued that the Igbo have continued to suffer marginalization and injustice long after the war ended.

The group also challenged Gowon’s credibility, claiming he ascended to power through questionable means following the 1966 counter-coup that led to the death of General Aguiyi-Ironsi. According to IWA, Gowon was not the most senior military officer at the time, and his appointment sparked protests, including opposition from Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

IWA accused Gowon of discarding the Aburi Accord—an agreement reached with Ojukwu in Ghana that could have de-escalated tensions—under pressure from British interests and Northern elites.

“Gowon wanted to remain in power at all costs,” Chimezie alleged, “and was willing to sacrifice the Igbo to please foreign and Northern powers.”

The group also reiterated that the 1966 coup was wrongly labeled an “Igbo coup” and blamed Britain for fuelling anti-Igbo sentiments using radio propaganda. They referenced recent remarks by former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, who, in his autobiography, reportedly confirmed the coup wasn’t an ethnic conspiracy.

Citing historical injustices like the Aba Women’s Riot and the colonial backlash against Igbo activism, IWA claimed the British never forgave the Igbos for their resistance and used the civil war as a means to suppress them further.

“If Gowon truly cared about unity, he would have upheld the Aburi Accord,” the group said, adding that rejecting the agreement was a major factor behind ongoing calls for restructuring and secessionist agitations.

Chimezie concluded by challenging Gowon to publicly acknowledge alleged war crimes committed during the conflict and to finally apologize to the victims of the Biafran War.

Punch

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