“Gowon’s Unity Claim Is Historical Fraud” — IPOB Reacts to Civil War Comments

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly condemned recent comments by former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, describing his remarks on the Nigerian Civil War as “provocative, insensitive, and shameless.”

Gowon, while speaking at a church event in Abuja over the weekend, reportedly stated that the 1967–1970 civil war was not driven by hatred but by the “necessity to preserve Nigeria’s unity.” He also emphasized forgiveness and national reconciliation.

But IPOB, in a statement released Monday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, rejected Gowon’s position, accusing him of attempting to whitewash what the group described as a deliberate genocide against Biafrans.

“His claim that the war was fought for unity, not hatred, is a grotesque distortion of history and an insult to millions of Biafrans slaughtered under his command,” the group said.

Powerful likened Gowon’s actions during the war to those of Adolf Hitler, claiming over five million Biafrans, including women and children, were killed through state-sponsored violence, starvation, and aerial bombardments.

The group further questioned Gowon’s role in the Aburi Accord, the breakdown of which preceded the war, and accused him of capitulating to foreign influence and sabotaging efforts to avert conflict.

“Why did he renege on the Aburi agreement? Why perpetuate the false narrative that the 1966 coup was an Igbo conspiracy? Why abandon regionalism in favour of a structure designed to plunder Biafran resources?” IPOB asked.

It also challenged Gowon to publish his version of events, especially regarding his conduct during the build-up to war, and accused him of “historical dishonesty and moral cowardice.”

IPOB warned that “unity imposed by force” was unsustainable and reiterated its call for a Biafran referendum, urging Biafrans at home and abroad to resist “revisionist narratives.”

“Gowon’s speeches are not calls for healing but provocations that reopen old wounds. The unity he speaks of is a myth, built on coercion and the blood of the innocent,” the statement added.

The group concluded by reaffirming its commitment to self-determination:

“We remain resolute. The time for truth, justice, and liberation is now.”