The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to issue a formal apology on behalf of past military regimes for the atrocities committed against the Igbo people during the Nigeria-Biafra War.
The group also demanded ₦10 trillion in reparations as compensation for the loss of millions of lives and the destruction of Igbo land and infrastructure.
Ohanaeze made the demand following General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s (IBB) recent statement, in which he clarified that the January 1966 coup was not an “Igbo coup.”
The organization praised IBB’s acknowledgement, stating that it corrects a long-standing historical misconception that has fueled decades of animosity and marginalization against the Igbo people.
The group lamented the systemic injustices suffered by the Igbo since the war, including political exclusion, the deliberate underdevelopment of the Southeast, the closure of vital economic infrastructures like the Calabar seaport, and the implementation of discriminatory policies such as the quota system.
“In light of these grievous injustices, Ohanaeze Ndigbo reiterates our demands articulated during the 1999 Justice Oputa-led Judicial Commission for the Investigation of Human Rights Violation Panel.
“It is imperative that the current federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, must confront the shadows of our historical traumas.
“We demand a public and unreserved apology from the President on behalf of past military regimes, particularly that of General Yakubu Gowon, who orchestrated unprovoked bombardments and shellings over Igbo territory during the Nigeria-Biafra War that resulted in immense human suffering and loss.
“Furthermore, we maintain our resolute stance that the Nigerian federal government must dispel the long-standing inequities perpetrated against the Igbo nation by paying reparations amounting to 10 trillion naira.
“This demand is not merely a demand for financial restitution or restitution; it is a necessary acknowledgment of the value of human lives lost and the cultural and infrastructural devastation endured by our people, which remains evident even 55 years post-conflict,” the statement read.
While extending forgiveness to Babangida and others for past injustices, Ohanaeze urged President Tinubu to seize this moment to foster national unity through genuine reconciliation and restorative justice.
According to the group, a public apology and financial restitution are necessary steps toward healing and rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s unity.
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