Asaba Massacre Documentary: A Global Call For Truth, Memory and Justice

By Ogochukwu Eseka

A powerful global movement to confront one of Nigeria’s most painful historical tragedies continues to gather momentum as The 7th October 1967 Asaba Massacre Documentary moves from London, to Lagos, and on to its major United States screening scheduled for February 2026.

The documentary, which revisits the mass killing of over 1,000 unarmed civilians who were executed for their ethnic affinity to the Ibos in Biafra, though Asaba was within the Nigerian territory during the Nigerian Civil War, is rapidly evolving into one of Africa’s most significant historical justice campaigns—uniting scholars, legal experts, traditional leaders, and members of the global African diaspora.

The London Premiere: A Historic International Unveiling

The international journey began in London, where the documentary had its European unveiling in late 2025. The event hosted an impressive assembly of global scholars, cultural historians, and Nigerian diaspora leaders.

The London screening was chaired by the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Professor Epiphany Azinge SAN, who provided a powerful traditional and intellectual grounding for the event, calling for truth, healing and historical accountability.

In attendance were: Prof. Elizabeth Bird – leading anthropologist and co-author of Asaba Massacre: Trauma, Memory, and the Nigerian Civil War; Prof. Fraser Ottanelli – historian and co-author of the same landmark academic work; Prof. Oba Nsugbe KC – senior legal scholar and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Africa Centre; Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, Isama Ajie of Asaba; and Executive Producer Nze Ed Keazor, Executive Editor.

Also present were African diaspora community leaders, UK-based historians, media executives, and human rights advocates.

A major highlight came from Dr Charles Adams, Dean at the University of South Florida, representing the institution that funded the foundational research which produced the internationally acclaimed book on the Asaba Massacre.

Dr Adams announced that the Asaba Massacre has now been officially approved as a subject of study for undergraduates in the University’s Transitional Justice Department. This landmark development elevates the massacre into the global academic space, firmly establishing it as a recognised case study in international justice, memory studies, and humanitarian law.

The London event established the film as a major historical archival project—one that challenges decades of silence and compels the world to confront a largely unacknowledged atrocity.

Lagos African Screening: Legal Leaders and Historians Demand Accountability

On 26 November 2025, the documentary held its African broadcast premiere in Lagos. The event featured some of Nigeria’s most respected legal minds and historians. Panellists included:
Ademola Akinrele SAN, Yemi Candide-Johnson SAN, Olasupo Shasore SAN, Chief Chijioke Okoli SAN, Aduke Gomez, Historian Ed Keazor, Gambo Pam, and Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze.

The panel dissected: The legal dimensions of mass atrocities; the rights of victims’ families; historical suppression of the Asaba story; the urgent need for memorialisation; and the national responsibility to apologise and provide reparation.

A Long-awaited U.S. Screening — New York City, February 19, 2026

The global campaign now heads to the United States, where the film will be screened at the prestigious Harvard Club of New York City, Manhattan.

Panellists for the U.S. event include: Prof. Elizabeth Bird, Prof. Fraser Ottanelli, Oba Nsugbe KC, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, and Nze Ed Keazor.

The U.S. screening aims to sharpen international focus on wartime atrocities in Africa and strengthen diaspora connections to Nigerian and African history.

The Asaba Massacre was not only a Nigerian tragedy – it was a violation of international humanitarian norms. The people of Asaba were not combatants; they were civilians dressed in white garments, assembling and chanting for peace. They were executed simply for their ethnic affinity to the Ibo people in Biafra.

The film’s producers and advocates argue that remembering Asaba is essential for: Justice and national healing; Preventing repeated military crimes; Correcting historical distortions; and Preserving African stories with global relevance.

With the London, Lagos, and New York Screenings, the Asaba narrative is now firmly taking its place in world history.