Moved by revelations made by former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup, an Igbo group, Njiko Igbo Forum, has demanded the sum of N100 trillion from the Nigerian government on account of the injustice suffered by the Igbo people from 1966 to date.
Babangida, in his new book, ‘A Journey in Service’, released last week, exonerated the Igbo as plotters of the coup.
Reacting to the development, Njiko Igbo, an affiliate of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a statement by its President, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, asked members of the National Assembly from the Southeast to send a bill to the National Assembly for a N100 trillion compensation to be paid to the Igbo for the injustices suffered as a result of the wrong impression.
“This is compensation for the rejection, hate, marginalisation, pogrom/genocide, and millions killed during the civil war; economic losses due to the destruction of properties, businesses, seized properties, etc., which resulted from a false narrative created.
“It is now very clear that the commanders and leaders of the January Coup of 1966, popularly known as the ‘Igbo coup,’ were Kaduna Nzeogwu—Delta, Adewale Ademoyega – Yoruba, Capt. G. Adeleke – Yoruba, Lt. Fola Oyewole – Yoruba, Emmanuel Ifeajuna—Igbo, Lt. Tijani Katsina—Hausa, Capt. Gibson Jalo—Niger Delta, and Lt. O. Olafemiyan—Yoruba,” the group said.
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It added that more revelations have emerged, showing that the coup was actually meant to free Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison and install him as Nigeria’s Prime Minister.
“It has been confirmed by some of those who were directly involved or had firsthand knowledge of the coup’s planning.
“In other words, if the coup had gone exactly as planned, Awolowo would have been released and made the Prime Minister,” the statement explained.
It added that with the evidence now in place, “the Igbo must be apologised to by Nigeria and efforts must be made to assuage them by paying compensation, which, no matter how much, cannot be equated with the millions of lives lost during the war and their subjugation for 55 years – from January 15, 1970 (when the war is said to have ended) to February 2025.”
Meanwhile, the group also demanded that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, should open up on the 2023 general election.
“We will not want another memoir written by, maybe, Prof. Mahmoud, the INEC Chairman, or President Tinubu when Peter Obi is gone, like Chief MKO Abiola is being written about and confirmed today as the winner of the 1993 presidential election,” the group said.
The Guardian
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