Asaba Massacre: Remembering My Aunt’s Husband, Elijah Ojogwu

PAUL NWOSU, PhD

Every October 5–7, we remember the Asaba Massacre of 1967, one of the darkest tragedies of the Nigerian Civil War, when hundreds of Ndi Ahaba were murdered by federal troops.

But for my family, Asaba massacre is more than history. It is deeply personal. My only paternal aunt, Uzoechi Ojogwu, was a young mother with a toddler and a two-month-old baby when her young husband, Elijah Odiachi Ojogwu, was killed in the massacre by federal troops. He was among those who lost their lives in a tragedy that left countless families devastated and made my aunt a widow.

Today, my family joins the people of Asaba and Nigerians of good conscience in remembering the victims and mourning the tragic and needless loss of innocent lives.

We remember Elijah. We remember them all. May their souls rest in peace.