In his recently published biography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance—which reads more like a concocted afterthought filled with calibrated falsehoods and denials—Gowon failed to address the wiping out of over three million Biafrans, mostly civilians, by Nigerian troops and their foreign collaborators.
One notable aspect of the war between Ukraine and Russia is that both sides mainly target military positions and establishments. The same applies to the conflict between the United States and Iran. During the Gulf War, nicknamed “Operation Desert Storm,” America targeted only military infrastructure.
While this is true for most modern warfare, the unthinkable happened during the Nigerian–Biafran Civil War: civilians were deliberately targeted, as seen in the painful and unforgettable Asaba Massacre.
The Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) remains one of Africa’s deadliest conflicts, leaving behind a legacy of trauma and unresolved questions. At the center of this historical reckoning is the loss of an estimated three million lives—mostly civilians, women, and children of Igbo descent—who perished due to military action, displacement, and a deliberate blockade. Decades later, the surviving architects of the federal victory, General Yakubu Gowon and General Theophilus Danjuma, face a persistent moral demand from historians and survivors to account for the scale of this tragedy.
The high casualty count in Biafra was not solely the result of battlefield combat. A major factor was the total economic and physical blockade imposed by the federal government. Food, medicine, and humanitarian aid were restricted from entering the secessionist enclave. Federal officials famously defended the strategy, stating that starvation was a legitimate weapon of war to force a quick surrender.
Widespread famine and kwashiorkor devastated the population, turning the conflict into a humanitarian catastrophe watched globally. The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nigeria’s Commissioner for Finance at the time, famously stated that starvation is a legitimate weapon of war. However, modern international law under the Geneva Conventions strictly prohibits starving civilians as a method of warfare.
Many historians and legal scholars classify the blockade and targeting of civilians as a genocide against the Igbo people. Yet, no Nigerian military or political leaders were ever tried internationally for these actions due to the geopolitical dynamics of the Cold War.
As the institutional heads of the federal war effort, both Gowon and Danjuma held immense responsibility for the execution of the military campaigns. As Head of State, Gowon officially championed the slogan “No Victor, No Vanquished,” and declared a policy of Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation (the 3Rs) after the war. However, his administrative oversight permitted the blockade that decimated the civilian population. While he presented a magnanimous face to the international community, the ground reality for millions of starving Easterners told a different story.
During the ill-fated war, Danjuma led frontline operations that captured vital Biafran territories. His operational decisions directly influenced the intensity of the fighting. For decades, survivors have questioned whether the tactical advancements under his command prioritized military victory over the preservation of non-combatant lives.
The Alaigbo Development Watchdog hereby advises Ohanaeze Ndigbo to proceed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague and open a case of war crimes against the government of Nigeria, which has continued to marginalize the Igbos.
Signed:
Ben AHANONU
Spokesperson
Alaigbo Development Watchdog