The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to issue a public apology and approve ₦10 trillion in reparations for the Igbo people over the devastating consequences of the 1966 coup and the subsequent Nigeria-Biafra War.
The demand follows former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s revelation in his memoir, A Journey in Service, that the 1966 coup was not an “Igbo coup,” contrary to longstanding claims.
Ohanaeze insists that this acknowledgment necessitates both restitution and reconciliation.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abakaliki, Deputy National President of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, described the 1966 coup and its aftermath as a turning point that led to the mass killings of Igbos, culminating in the Biafra War, where an estimated three million Igbo—mostly women and children—were killed.
He noted that Nigeria must confront the historical injustices inflicted on the Igbo people, adding that President Tinubu has a responsibility to acknowledge and address these grievances.
“The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, extends its profound appreciation to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) for his remarkable courage in officially declaring that the January 1966 coup was unequivocally not an Igbo coup,” the statement read.
Ohanaeze said that the mischaracterization of the coup had long fueled anti-Igbo sentiments, leading to systemic marginalization that persists today.
The group accused successive governments of deliberately sidelining the Igbo, citing the lack of federal infrastructure, economic neglect, and political exclusion.
According to Isiguzoro, the ₦10 trillion demand is not arbitrary but a symbolic gesture recognizing the irreversible losses suffered by the Igbo people.
He also reiterated the need for Nigeria to take accountability, referencing past calls for justice, including submissions to the 1999 Justice Oputa-led panel on human rights violations.
He further stated that while the Igbo people extend forgiveness to General Babangida and others involved in the war, the confessions from Babangida should prompt deeper accountability from those responsible for the mass atrocities committed during the conflict.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo hereby restates its demands,” the statement continued, stressing that the Federal Government must acknowledge its role in the indiscriminate bombardments of Igbo territories during the war, which led to unparalleled loss of life.
“The time has come for true acknowledgement of these historical wrongs, which can only be rectified through both reparations and sincere apologies.”
