1967 Asaba Massacre: Film Documentary Premieres in London

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The Asaba people of Delta State, Nigeria, are poised to make good their vow to draw the attention of the global community to the monumental injustice of tge Nigerian State to chilling massacre of hundreds of Asaba people by federal troops on October 7, 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War.

A special film documentary on the Asaba will be formally released 26th October in London, the United Kingdom, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, the Isama Ajie of Asaba, has revealed.

Nduka-Eze, a legal luminary who was the official convener of recent 58th anniversary celebration of the Massacre, told THISDAY in Asaba that the epochal event was in furtherance of the Asaba people’s drive for not only in furtherance of the call for justice in respect of the cold-blooded killing of the innocent citizens, but also to bring on.the global space great lessons that could inspire the international peace-process in the Middle East and other areas of inter-ethnic and interracial crises in the world.

The response of the Asaba people to the 1967 massacre has been stoic and reflective rather than bitterness and confrontational, Nduka-Eze noted, saying the international community stood to learn a lot from the Asaba post-massacre experience.

Addressing thousands of Asaba sons and daughters at the 58th anniversary of the infamous Asaba Massacre, on 7th October, the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Prof Epiphany Azinge indicated that they would leave no stone unturned until the desired justice for the victims of the meaningless bloodletting was served.

On behalf of his people, he said that a formal apology from the Federal Government, and a federal university established in Asaba was the least that the Tinubu administration could do in that regard.

The revered monarch said, “We must have a fitting memorial for these Martyrs. We have told the President that we deserve and need an apology from the Nigerian government; and, we need a federal university established here in Asaba in their memory.”

While paying glowing tribute to the resilience and commitment to peace by the Asaba people, Obi Prof Azinge emphasised that the people of Asaba would not rest on the oars until their demand for justice was met.

“We are prepared to take this matter wherever necessary. If Rwanda can come out of the ashes stronger, Asaba has already risen from the ashes. From the going down of the sun till morning, we will always remember them.”

Buttressing the statement of the traditional Nduka-Eze, disclosed that a recently finished film documentary on the October 1967 Asaba Massacre would premiere in London, the United Kingdom to underscore the determination to make post-Asaba Massacre a lesson for the whole world.

Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, whose biological murder was one of the victims of the Asaba Massacre for daring to tell the soldiers to halt the abominable killing of unarmed citizens, harped on the need to draw global attention to another October 7, 1967 that occurred more than 55 years before the Hamas sudden attack on Israel in Gaza last year jolted the world to the persistence of ethnic intolerance in the world.

The annual remembrance for the Asaba Massacre victims would subsequently be part of the Asaba official cultural calendar, he announced.

Nduka-Eze, who described the 2025 elaborate memorial event as a historic and necessary act of honour, gave a vivid picture of the Day, going forward: “From today henceforth, Asaba will observe a one-minute silence every October 7 at 12 noon to honour our people who were killed in the Asaba massacre. A 21-gun salute will mark the occasion as a symbol of our collective respect.

“We have been speaking about the massacre to raise awareness; and, it is now time to institutionalise this in our city’s calendar.

“When we met with the President, we raised all our concerns. Although, he was silent on the Asaba Massacre, it does not mean he is unaware. We do not remember it with anger but with reflection because it is what the living owe the dead.”

According to him, regarding the massacre with sober reflection rather than with anger and bitterness was the way to go, hence the Middle East and the world at large have a huge lesson to learn from Asaba people, who have chosen to stoically weather the storm and make remarkable progress after the darkest moment in their history.

Dignitaries attending the event at the African Centre, London, include the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN); Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, the Isama Ajie of Asaba who authored the film documentary; Prof Elizabeth Bird, author of the Book on the 1967 Asaba Massacre; Dr Charles Adams, Dean of Humanities at the South Florida University, Tampa, which funded research for the book; Chief Nwanze Oduah (Odogwu Ahaba); Ogbueshi Chike Ogeah, Ogbuefi Emmanuel Diali, Mrs Nkiru Ofili and others.