Human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has stated that the memories of those killed during the Nigerian Civil War remain deeply engraved in the soul of every Igbo person.
Ejiofor made the statement ahead of the solemn remembrance activities scheduled for May 30 in honour of those who lost their lives during the Biafran War.
In a statement issued on Monday titled, “Monday Musings: The Approaching Days of Remembrance — A Solemn Reflection Before 30th May: Honouring the Fallen, Preserving the Truth, and Rekindling the Bonds of Alaigbo,” Ejiofor said the calendar is steadily drawing the Igbo nation toward the sacred and emotionally significant date of May 30 — a day permanently etched in the collective consciousness of the Igbo people and remembered globally as a solemn memorial of the Biafran genocide.
He noted that Ndi Igbo are once again confronted with the moral burden of remembrance, introspection, and historical truth.
According to him, these are not ordinary days, but days profoundly reminiscent of a Holy Week of collective mourning, days that call upon every son and daughter of Alaigbo to momentarily withdraw from the distractions and divisions of present circumstances in order to reflect deeply on the sacrifices, pain, courage, and resilience of their forebears.
He further stated that the solemn season must become a sacred opportunity for introspection, reconciliation, unity, and renewed brotherhood among Ndi Igbo.
Ejiofor added that the greatest honour Ndi Igbo can bestow upon their fallen heroes and heroines is not merely through speeches or ceremonies, but by rebuilding the spirit of solidarity, love, communal responsibility, and collective purpose that once defined the strength of the Igbo people.
“The approach of Biafra Heroes Memorial Day is not merely ceremonial. It is a painful yet necessary journey into one of the darkest chapters of African history,a period between 1967 and 1970 during which millions of innocent civilians, predominantly of Igbo extraction, perished through war, starvation, displacement, and organised massacres that followed the horrific pogroms of 1966.
“Entire families were wiped out. Towns and villages were reduced to ruins. Children became the haunting faces of hunger before the conscience of the world.
“History remains unambiguous that the massacres of Easterners residing in different parts of Nigeria in 1966, particularly the targeted killings of innocent Igbo men, women, and children, created an atmosphere of fear, insecurity, and existential uncertainty that ultimately culminated in the declaration of Biafra in May 1967. The memories of those atrocities remain deeply engraved in the soul of our people.
“As we approach this year’s commemoration, it becomes even more imperative for Ndi Igbo to remain vigilant against the distortion of historical facts and the dangerous revisionism that seeks either to minimise or entirely reconstruct the realities that led to the civil war.
“Recent attempts in certain narratives and publications by Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd.) to twist facts and suppress the truth, while overlooking the antecedent massacres and political betrayals that precipitated the conflict, must be approached with intellectual honesty, historical objectivity, and moral courage.
“In the days and weeks ahead, we shall continue to calmly, painstakingly, and analytically examine some of these falsehoods, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, and page by page, not out of hatred, bitterness, or vengeance, but out of an enduring obligation to truth, justice, and historical accountability.
“Yet, beyond the arguments of history lies a greater and more urgent lesson for the Igbo nation itself.
“This solemn season must also become a sacred opportunity for introspection, reconciliation, unity, and renewed brotherhood among ourselves. The greatest honour we can bestow upon our fallen heroes and heroines is not merely through speeches or ceremonies, but by rebuilding the spirit of solidarity, love, communal responsibility, and collective purpose that once defined the strength of our people.
“The blood and sacrifices of those who perished during the Biafran genocide must never become instruments of division among the living. Rather, they should inspire us toward unity of purpose, protection of one another, defence of truth, pursuit of justice, and preservation of our shared heritage.
“As the final days before May 30 gradually unfold, may every Igbo son and daughter embrace sobriety, wisdom, restraint, and deep reflection. Let us honour our dead with dignity. Let us preserve history with honesty. Let us confront the future with courage. And above all, let us rediscover ourselves as one people bound together by destiny, memory, and an unbroken ancestral covenant.
“May the souls of all who lost their lives during the Biafran genocide continue to rest in eternal peace. Amen.”
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1 Comments
Well said,and shall be observed
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