Politics
1967 Biafran War Was To Prevent Secession, Not Target Igbos – General Gowon Clarifies
Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), has reiterated that the Nigerian Civil War, popularly known as the Biafran War, was never a campaign against the Igbo ethnic group, but a necessary effort to prevent the disintegration of the Nigerian nation.
Speaking in a recent interview, the retired general and former military leader emphasized that the war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970, was initiated to uphold Nigeria’s territorial integrity in the face of a secession attempt by the Eastern Region, which had declared itself the Republic of Biafra under the leadership of Lt. Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
General Gowon firmly dismissed long-standing narratives suggesting that the federal government specifically targeted the Igbo people during the war. “From the beginning,” he said, “I ensured that this was not a war against Igbos as such, but one to stop the breaking up of Nigeria.”
He disclosed that during his leadership, he issued a code of conduct to Nigerian troops, strictly directing them to avoid harm to civilians, particularly women and children. He emphasized that military action was only to be taken against those who had taken up arms against the state.
“I had a responsibility and duty as a loyal Nigerian to keep the country whole… Soldiers on the Nigerian side were to protect the people, especially women and children, and take up arms only against those who had taken arms against them,” Gowon said.
The civil war, which raged between July 6, 1967, and January 13, 1970, resulted in widespread devastation and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The Eastern Region, under siege and blockaded by federal forces, suffered catastrophic food shortages. This led to the deaths of over one million civilians, mostly children, from starvation and disease. Overall estimates place the total casualties between one and three million people.
In the interview, Gowon defended the federal government’s wartime actions, stating that efforts were made to deliver humanitarian aid to the Biafran region, but these were often blocked by the Biafran leadership.
“The other side also refused all attempts to send aid into their camp,” he remarked, suggesting that the humanitarian crisis was worsened by internal decisions within Biafra.
When Biafra finally surrendered in January 1970, the Nigerian government, under Gowon’s leadership, announced a policy of “No Victor, No Vanquished,” initiating a post-war reconciliation and reintegration process aimed at healing national wounds.
Despite the gesture, the conflict left lasting scars. Many in the Igbo community have continued to express feelings of marginalization and trauma tied to the events before, during, and after the war. Tensions over identity, inclusion, and federal structure remain sensitive issues in Nigerian politics to this day.
Gowon, reflecting on his choices as a leader, underscored his commitment to national unity over sectional interests.
“If the East does not break up from Nigeria… that was what I kept on saying. If the situation gets to a stage where I must choose between allowing the people to break up or having to stop it, I know where my responsibility is. I have my loyalty—loyalty to the country.”
The Nigerian Civil War erupted after years of ethnic tensions, political instability, and targeted killings, particularly against Igbos living in northern Nigeria. In response, the Eastern Region, dominated by the Igbo ethnic group, declared independence—an act swiftly rejected by the federal government.
While the war ended over five decades ago, it continues to shape national discourse, with groups in the Southeast regularly invoking Biafra as a symbol of self-determination and resistance to perceived systemic exclusion.
Gowon’s latest remarks are seen as part of ongoing efforts to reshape the historical narrative and foster a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s past in hopes of guiding its future.
