The 1967 asaba massacre stanley okafor, then a university student, described how he and several relatives were summoned by troops. After reading azuka onwukas heartrending masterpiece on the asaba massacre link below, i started soliloquizing, wondering why lt. Ify uraih describes how the massacre of hundreds of innocent civilians began in asaba more than 40 years ago. As a temple keeper, shuzenji asaba was a guesthouse kept by a temple in front of the gate.
The asaba massacre is not only a significant contribution to the scholarship on the shortlived republic of biafra and nigeria, but also a well written study that lends itself to use in undergraduate and graduate courses on oral history and violence writ large. Aug 11, 20 in this gripping video, the searchlight is beamed at the asaba massacre in the early months of the civil war. In 1967, during the first months of nigerias civil war, when the predominantly igbo. Asaba massacre on a global stage the guardian nigeria. As i stepped into our compound with my little brother nnamdi we had just come back from boys scout, there were several people gathered in our house inside the parlor. Asaba massacre of 1967 finds poetic expression in last dance. Dont think they were on drugs to perpetrate such evil, j. Ottanelli offer an interdisciplinary reconstruction of the history of the asaba massacre, redefining it as a pivotal. The asaba massacre occurred in early october 1967, during the biafran war, fought over the secession of biafra the predominantlyigbo, former eastern region of nigeria. Geographically, nothing seems to connect the igalas in kogi state with the ibos of asaba in delta state and the ibos of nteje in anambra state, except perhaps networks of interstate and intercity roads. Postcolonial conflict and the question of genocide. Elizabeth bird and fraser ottanelli this article explores the consequences of a massacre of civilians in asaba, a town on the west bank of the river niger, during the early stages of the nigerian civil war. Muritala mohammed, assisted by major ibrahim taiwo, and their men of the second division of the nigerian army, during the genocide called civil war, were so callous and evil to massacre unarmed asaba civilians even when they declared they were for peace.
Mar 27, 2016 asaba massacre of 1967 finds poetic expression in last dance on the niger. It requires no previous background in the nigerian civil war or oral methodology to comprehend the main arguments. Oct 06, 2017 a lot of atrocities are committed during a war. Asaba massacre 1967 newest article politics nigeria. It was fought between 6 th of july 1967 to 15 th of january 1970.
The asaba massacre and the nigerian question by charles ogbu. In this gripping video, the searchlight is beamed at the asaba massacre in the early months of the civil war. Ofiliokonkwo explained that the primary objective of the asaba october memorial is to signal the rebirth of asaba from the psychological and emotional devastation of the massacre. This article explores the consequences of a massacre of civilians in asaba, a town on the west bank of the river niger, during the early stages of. Asaba massacre memorial still in the pipeline in nigeria menu.
It uses interviews with survivors and witnesses, and historical photos and documents. The asaba massacre and the nigerian question by charles ogbu for the people of asaba, delta state, october 7, 1967 remains a day they will forever rue, for that was the day the nigerian state. Ahaba is a city located at the western bank of the niger river. Read the asaba massacre trauma, memory, and the nigerian civil war by s. Victims of the asaba massacre the polynational war memorial. The following is a list of massacres that have occurred in over the past number of years in nigeria numbers may be approximate. Ify uraih describes how the massacre of hundreds of innocent civilians began in asaba. The asaba massacre took place in the nigerian town of asaba during the biafran war 710 of october 1967. Oct 07, 2017 on the 50th anniversary of the asaba massacre, i cant keep my words to myself but say it in the way my daddy fondly tells the story. A fast developing urban area, asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a metropolitan population of over half a million people. The relationship between war and genocide in the twentieth century. The history and legacy of the asaba, nigeria, massacres 3 christian in the south and muslim in the north.
In 1967, during the nigerian civil war, which was fought over the secession of biafra, formerly known as the eastern region of. The asaba massacre is a part of the nigerianbiafran civil war which occurred in the town of asaba, the present capital of delta state, on october 7, 1967, in what. Asaba is ethnically and linguistically igbo, but was never part of biafra. By placing the evolution of biafras genocide claims into the broader picture of the war. Pdf this article explores the consequences of a massacre of civilians in asaba, a town on the west bank of the river. It has often been said that when an igbo mans wife makes a request of him, he will move mountains to achieve it. Pdf the history and legacy of the asaba, nigeria, massacres. The south had been divided into the yorubadominated western region, separated by the niger river from the igbodominated eastern region.
Today, asaba and her proud people are reassured that with the earlier book blood on the niger by asaba born emma okocha and the recent scholarly publication entitled the asaba massacre. The road to war and massacre chapter 1 the asaba massacre. Igbo, asaba was not part of the igbodominated biafra, remaining part of the ethnically. Trauma, memory, and the nigerian civil war by s elizabeth bird isbn. The asaba massacre and the nigerian question by charles.
Asaba to mark civil war massacre the guardian nigeria news. Read breaking, latest and top asaba massacre in nigeria. The history and legacy of the asaba, nigeria, massacres. Calameo midwifing nigeria s fragile unity the role of. On october 7, the nigerians entered the city of asaba, on the other side of the niger from onitsha. After the killing of probiafra protesters on 18 january 2016, the abia. Oct 05, 2017 sequel to my previous post on the asaba massacre memorial day, below are a list of some 374 people, less than half the number of civilians murdered on the 7th of october, 1967. Before the massacre, most residents favoured nigerian unity. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. While ethnically igbo, asaba was not part of the igbodominated biafra.
The asaba massacre occurred in early october 1967, during the biafran war, fought over the. Elizabeth bird and fraser ottanelli this article explores the consequences of a massacre of civilians in asaba, a town on the west. This short video gives an account of massacres of civilians that happened in asaba, nigeria, 1967, in the early months of the nigerian civil war. Free, prior and informed consent was obtained from each. Thus it was that when my mother, who lost her father, and some of her brothers, on the same rainy day in october 1967, asked my dad to do a memorial to them, he obliged and did the memorial on his fence. According to historians elizabeth bird and frazer ottanelli, the massacre is not well known because it was covered up at the time. Trauma, memory, and the nigerian civil war s elizabeth bird on. A long history and tradition august 23, 2009 june 9, 2018 by asaba 16 comments.
Brief history of nigerian civil war global history blog. The first black on black genocide, the untold story of the asaba massacre in the nigerian civil war by emmanuel emma okocha blood on the niger. The asaba massacre would work quite well in the classroom. On october 5, 1967, nigerian federal troops entered asaba, a town in southeast. My own experience was that i was stuck in asaba where i was born and by the grace of god experienced the war, we knew how the biafra people were chased, when they passed through asaba, they broke. The massacre is still little acknowledged and a highly sensitive issue. Elizabeth bird and fraser ottanellis carefully crafted and well. Many dead remain unidentified and are likely to have been buried in mass graves. This list is in grouped by villages and in alphabetical order, surnames first, and was complied by sir. The asaba massacre trauma, memory, and the nigerian civil war. When one of the guests at the book reading i attended the evening of wednesday the 4th of october at quintessence, ikoyi, lagos, mentioned that his friends dissuaded him from attending because of the present. Between 500 and 700 townspeople died in a massacre that was carried out by nigerian governement troops.
Even today, the name asaba resounds in the memory of nigerians as that of one of the great massacres of the biafran war. Asaba indigenes under the auspices of asaba october 7 memorial group have lined up a series of activities to celebrate the victims of the massacre with a. Reply to chinua achebes there was a country chief dr chinua achebe wrote a book titled hr was a cor hich had spard a o of discussion on the pages of many of our national newspapers of the resent. Written by kovich october 7, 2017 october 14, 2017.
The asaba massacre is the story of sorrow, tears and blood which happened on october 7, 1967 in asaba town, which was part of the defunct midwestern state during the nigerian civil war. Im pleased to let everyone know that our book is now available for sale. The history and legacy of the asaba, nigeria, massacres 3. About 510 years ago, an ancestor asaba yakuro yukitada visited here in order to found a temple of shuzenji soto sect. The first black on black genocide, the untold story of the asaba massacre in the nigerian civil war by emmanuel emma okocha. Postcolonial conflict and the question of genocide the nigeria. Routledge ebooks are accessible via the free vitalsource. When we came closer, we could hear someone sobbing and the people were trying to console her. But, as with many of the events of the civil war, it is not taught in nigerian schools several. Asaba massacre memorial still in the pipeline in nigeria.
Drawing on archival sources on both sides of the atlantic and interviews with survivors of the killing, pillaging and rape, as well as with highranking nigerian military and political leaders, s. This platform documents the happenings of the biafra war in relation to the asaba massacre. After the killings, asaba became a town of just women, with no men gwam. Fraser m ottanelli in october 1967, early in the nigerian civil war, government troops entered asaba in pursuit of the retreating biafran army, slaughtering thousands of civilians and leaving the town in. Jul 31, 2017 the asaba massacre would work quite well in the classroom.
The real day of reckoning and remembrance was on saturday october 7, 2017 when the injured people of asaba marked the 50th anniversary of what has now become known as the asaba massacre. The asaba massacre bookreading madukovichs cogitations. On the 27th of may, 1967, general yakubu gowon promulgated decree no. Use the link below to share a fulltext version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Sequel to my previous post on the asaba massacre memorial day, below are a list of some 374 people, less than half the number of civilians murdered on the 7th of october, 1967. Global attention was recently drawn to the october 1967 carnage, the asaba massacre in midwestern nigeria via a oneminute informercial placed strategically midway into the highly informative global public square gps anchored by the erudite fareed zakari on the cable news network cnn. In short, the asaba massacre is a work that resonates far beyond just the confines of african history. This article explores the consequences of a massacre of civilians in asaba, a town on the west bank of the river niger, during the early stages of the nigerian civil war.
This kill and go free mentality was clearly at play in asaba on october 7, 1967. Not until cheta nwanze, a popular radio analyst tweeted the next day, that a program he was on, discussing the asaba massacre, a prelude to the fiftieth anniversary of the massacre scheduled for asaba by the end of the week, was pulled off air, right in the middle of the radio show, after a call allegedly from the nigerian broadcasting. Plans for an asaba massacre memorial are stirring passions. Just click edit text or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. Asaba massacre victims 7th october 1967 the red confidential. Introducing the new lens of african military history in. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Nov 12, 2017 today, asaba and her proud people are reassured that with the earlier book blood on the niger by asaba born emma okocha and the recent scholarly publication entitled the asaba massacre. Oct 07, 2017 the book reading i attended was of a new book titled, the asaba massacre by elizabeth bird and fraser ottanelli, british and american historian respectively, in a week that started with an unpresidential speech, characterized by a talk down by president muhammadu buhari on igbo leaders for not calling hotheaded youths, with. Anambra governorship candidate chidoka urges nigerian govt to apologise. Reclaiming hidden history article pdf available in journal of genocide research 1623. These events led to attendant massacre of igbos in the north coupled with counter killings and expulsion of.
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