Covenant University expels 200 students for not attending Church service

By Ishola Balogun

*Students beg, Parents react…

* School declines comment

*I’m not aware — Prof Okojie, NUC boss

About 200 students may have been expelled by the authorities of Covenant University, Cannanland, Ota, Ogun State, recently for what was described as “disregard of paramount core values.”

Frustrated and angered by the development, some of the affected students who gave account of what happened battled emotions while narrating their situations to Saturday Vanguard recently. They however pleaded with the school authorities to tamper justice with mercy in order to save their future.

Saturday Vanguard investigation revealed that out of the figure, about 126 were expelled for not attending the ‘departure service’, meant to sign off from the school after the end of the Semester and Matriculation of students on November 30.  Five other students were thrown out for smoking while unconfirmed source said additional 60 got the same fate for violating other rules bordering on the University’s  core Christian values. A few others were given four weeks suspension for failure to sign the head count that was conducted a couple of weeks earlier.

A letter of expulsion signed by the Registrar, a copy which was made available to Saturday Vanguard stated that the affected students contravened Chapter 1, section 30, page 40 of the 2010-2014 Student Handbook.

We gathered that the massive expulsion was predicated on the anger of the Chancellor, Bishop David Oyedepo who was said to have been infuriated after seeing students loitering around when they were supposed to be at the Chapel for the Departure Service.

He was said to have personally chased students to the Chapel and ordered for a search into all the halls and colleges to fish out those who did not attend the service.

Several attempts to get the school authorities comment on the issue proved abortive.  The Instituion’s Corporate Affairs Head, Mr Igban Emmaunel also refused to comment as calls pulled through to him were unanswered and text messages not replied.

How it happened

A few of the affected students gave account of what happened to Saturday Vanguard at different points.  The similar accounts go thus:  “On November 30, the last day of the semester, preceding our December break, there was also a Matriculation for the 100 level students; in fact some students had their last semester exams on that day, some of them finished around 3:00pm while the matriculation started around 8am. Some students retired to their rooms to relax while some engaged in some other activities jubilating the end of the semester.

“Some also got drinks from the matriculating students. Even as these were going on, some students who finished around 3pm retired to their halls. By 5pm, they announced that we should get prepared for the ‘Departure service’ which was to start by 8pm. Some students were already seeing their parents off while some of us were just trying to relax to get off the stress of the exams.

“Most of us hadn’t gotten through the tiredness of the sleepless nights of the exams; so, some us stayed back in our rooms. The departure service is usually a day before we go home and it is usually presided over by the Chancellor. Before the commencement of the service, they used to lock up the main doors of the halls so as to prevent cases of theft. I was not bothered since there were a lot of us in the hall. Some minutes past 8pm, they switched off the light and all of us in the hall went into our rooms. Because of the darkness and the cold, I slept off immediately.”

He continued: “The persistent knocks on the door woke me up and I realised that they had come to search for people who had not come to service. Before I realised what was going on, I found myself with other students numbering about 30. They took down our names and counted us to make sure that no one was omitted. They said the Chancellor was at the service and we refused to come. I heard them talking about other halls and they asked us to wait. I didn’t take it seriously because I never believed in my widest imagination that we would be expelled. We were later asked to go to our various halls.

“Some of those who went into hiding were lucky as they were not found. Shortly, those who went for the service returned and told us there was poor attendance at the Chapel and how students were diving in through the windows, scampering for seats. In fact, one narrated to us how the Chancellor jumped through the window to vent his anger on some students who had jumped in,” he stated.

Another expelled student also gave similar account of the incident. “I couldn’t go to the service because, I was not feeling well which was as a result of the stress of the exams we had just finished. After a while, I managed to go but I heard that they started driving people back around 7:30pm while the service was to start around 8pm. I was surprised because the rule was that you’ve got to be seated 15minutes to the service. Again, it was never made compulsory, but they tried to get students out of the halls to prevent cases of theft. So, because I was not feeling well, I went back to my room because I needed to rest for a while.

“I thought it was a  joke when they said we are in for expulsion because we failed to come for departure service. I have never done anything contrary to the school laws. I have never faced any panel before  and neither did I have any unpleasant case in my file. I never thought it was real until letters were handed to me the  following morning.”

Giving account of how letters were handed out to them, the visibly troubled student said: “By 6am, they announced the names of  those who were caught in halls and colleges. Usually after the departure service, one can sign out from there and go but because it ended late and no one could travel, students had to wait till the  following  morning. But the hall officer told those of us whose names were written down that if we leave, we should  be considered gone from the university forever. That gave us an insight into what was likely to come as punishment. By 7:45am, we were called once again to go downstairs for our letters. Those who collected theirs before mine were crying and I wondered what the punishment could be until I read the letter stating I was expelled from the university.”

compulsory part of students’ spiritual development where a bible and notebook are essential kits for the service. Students are expected to demonstrate a deep reverence for God at all  times.” The school declines comment Several attempts were made to get the school authorities comment on the issue. The institution’s Corporate/Public Affairs Officer, declined comment. At first, several calls were pulled through to him but he refused to pick his calls. When the reporter persisted, he later picked but said he was driving and could not answer any question. But few hours later, other calls pulled to him were unanswered. A text message was sent to his phone and up to the time of writing this report, he did not reply. __,_._,___

Ekumeku War of the Anioma People

Emeka Esogbue

The Anioma-British war popularly referred to in history as Ekumeku or Ekwumekwu in some Anioma quarters occurred between 1883-1914 and involved Anioma and the British. The Anioma are mostly Igbo therefore all Anioma speak Igbo beyond the enclaves of non Igbo ancestry of the Anioma region. It is therefore easier to recognize that Ekwumekwu is an Igbo word. However, different sources have interpreted "Ekumeku" differently.



Ekumeku is indigenously known in Anioma historical context as "Aya Ekumeku". Aya in Igbo language denotes "war" while Ekwumekwu in Igbo onomatopoeia connotes "Do not talk about it" or "Not to be spoken about". This is a portrayal od secrecy associated with Ekumeku movement. The terribly fast, devastating and invisible nature or strategy employed to wage the war couples with the initiation requirement necessary for the recruitment of soldiers may have warranted the word "Ekumeku" In the years of the Ekumeku war, it was a taboo to reveal the secrecy behind the activities of the cult regarding initiation, operational bases, movement and sources of the cult group.



This situation posed the British with so much difficulty as they were unable to manage the activities of the Anioma perceived worrisome to their imperialist policies. The mystery surrounding the activities from which the people derived unexplainable strength puzzled the British who perhaps were hasty to abolish what they believe could become established in the socio-cultural society of the Anioma and constitute hindrances towards realizing their economic aims if nothing was speedily done.



Resistance was strong in western Igboland with series of wars waged to resist the British who had strong economic interest in the region and Ekumeku with well organized leaders joined in oath-taking secrecy to forestall the activities of the British in the region. Guerrilla warfare was the effective weapon if this was to be achieved. The Ekumeku became the greatest of the Igbo nationalism that instilled fear and discipline in the minds of the British on how and how not to deal with the Igbo people generally. It was from Ekumeku that other Igbo regions derived boldness to confront the British. Perahps, there existed no region in Southern Nigeria where the people ferociously and collectively rose to resist the British imperial conquest as in the Anioma region where the war lasted for 16 years with heavy casualties on both belligerents. 



Attempts in the 19th and 20th centuries by the British to impose imperialistic and hegemonic measures that would subjugate the Anioma people for their own economic gains triggered-off the Ekwumekwu war. Anioma had viewed socio-economic activities of the British in the Anioma region as an intrusion that must be resisted at all cost and the British decided to employ the use of force to subdue the people. This became a threat in the Anioma society. Scholars of the Anioma History believe that while Britain because of its experiences derived from other parts of the country was well prepared for the outcome, the Anioma were little prepared and only ready to defend its territory from economic violation of the British. This gave the Britisn an upper hand over their Anioma counterparts. It was not until towards the end of the war that the rest of the Anioma towns prepared themselves for the battle the British.



The Anioma nation had before 1898 engaged in violent clashes with the British resulting in the identification of the Anioma region as a difficult terrain and it was the feeling of the British that the area needed to be purged if they would derive economic gains from the region and for the social activities of the British to be impacted on the people.  Interestingly, the British had already noted the leaders of the region as violent because of their unpleasant experiences with the people. In 1830, the Lander Brothers reported their sour experiences in the hands of the Anioma back home as they were captured by the Anioma community who did not understand their reason for crossing through their territory. It was a crisis that put the Anioma in the bad book of Britain only waiting to explode.



By 1870, the crisis between Anioma and Britain had escalated culminating in the invasion of Ndoni, an Anioma community by the British in the same year. The British parliament had ruled that the use of force would be necessary to compel the people of Ndoni to cooperate with their economic terms among several others. Atani another Anioma community would suffer the same fate as it engaged the Royal Niger Company in 1880 in a bid to control the trade of the region. The Royal Niger Company with its charter perpetuated what Joseph Egwu an erudite scholar regarded as the first genocide against the Anioma people. Finally, in November 2, 1897, Onicha-Ado (Onitsha) an Anioma community was bombarded in what was to set the Anioma rulers against the British in many years of guerrilla warfare.



Ibusa-Royal Niger Company War (1898)

The real first of the Ekumeku wars was between Ibusa and Royal Niger Company. Dr. Joseph Egwu in an article titled"Ekwumekwu Movement" published in Anioma Essence Vol. 1, No. 4, 2008 edition delivers a beautiful account of the Ibusa-Royal Niger Company War in which the Royal Niger Company forces commandeered by Major Festing decided to attack Ibusa.



Strangely, the Royal Niger Company launched a surprise attack on Ibusa and thus won an initial victory which through was temporary. The Ibusa forces retreated and the feeling of the British was absolute victory.



Writing further, Father Zappa in 1898 emphasized that rather than surrender, the Ekwumekwu soldiers continued to resist as the Ibusa forces reinforced. Major Festing's further appeal and indeed reinforcement of troops from Lokoja that joined the forces of the Royal Niger Company helped the Forces to sustain victory over the Anioma community of Ibusa.



"Indeed it was not the possession of more sophisticated firearms that ensured Major Festing's ultimate victory, it was rather wanton and callous destruction of Ibusa farms and villages that forced them to sue for peace.



Ukwunzu/Owa-the British (1904)

On the 11th February 1904, severe fighting increased between Ukwunze and Owa on one side and the British as the other party. W. E. B. Crawford Coupland, the Divisional Commissioner ordered for 4 Connaught Rangers, 2.95 artillery and other weapons with which the people were subdued.



Owa-the British (1906)

The Ika people displaying prowess of the most war-like of the Western Igbo speaking people with the fierce wars fought to end S. O. Crave-Read and his British styled inhuman treatment. In this war, Ekute provided military support to the Ekwumekwu soldiers. The Ika people fought a well prepared battle as Lt H. C. Moorhouse would later put up a brilliant defence of himself on why he appeared prone to sustaining casualties stating that the Ekwumekwu soldiers operated with a well trained soldiers and geographical knowledge was an advantage. Mr. S. O. Crewe lost his life in the battle.



Ogwashi-Uku-the British

The Anglo-Ogwashi-Uku war which began on November 2, 1909 with a mandate to the British Forces to kill everybody proved to be a partial disappointment ion the part of the British and more than anything proved that the British Forces could collapse if matched with sophisticated arms and ammunition. In that war the British sustained 34 casualties with the death of Captain H. C. Chapman.



With the fall of Ogwashi-Uku, the Anioma was doomed for balkanization. Dr. Egwu briefly summarizes what thereafter befell the Anioma as thus:



"Anioma Region was divided into four and joined to other groups neighbours who were then given political precedence over Anioma. Asaba Division was joined to the Benin Province and Aboh Division (Ndi-Olu) were joined with Urhobo, Ijaws and Itsekiris to make up the Delta Province. Onitsha, Oguta and environs were joined to the Eastern Provinces. This made political unity nearly impossible. This was the genesis of our woes!



With the fall of Anioma, the great price for losing a war was paid by the people. The region was balkanized by the British and many Anioma territories such as Onicha-Ado (Onitsha) and Oguta were permanently lost to the easterners. That of Onitsha was characterized with a change of the name that disassociated it from Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ukwu, Onicha-Uku kinsmen but in all Anioma achieved for the Igbo nation a movement more extensive and resisting than what the British had experienced in Africa South of the Sahara.


Igbafe in his work opines "the ability to manipulate their Age Grade system and other associations building an extensive network of communication throughout the whole of Anioma…no matter its cost, honour, bravery and integrity which have been internalized and consolidated in their myths, legends, proverbs and typical behaviour patterns.

The Anioma Ekwumekwu commanders were:
   1. Dunkwu Isusu (Onicha-Olona)
   2. Ochei Nwayazia (Onicha-Olona)
   3. Nwabuzo Olimagwo (Issele-Uku)
   4. Mokobia Odiajo (Ogwashi-Uku)
   5. Nwaiyogolo (Ogwashi-Uku)
   6. Eninwizomo (Ugbodu)
   7. Idegwu Otokpoike (Ubulu-Uku)
   8. Monye Ukpe
   9. Diei Nwobodo
  10. Egbune Uza
  11. Awunor Ugbo (Akumazi)
  12. Abuzu (Idumuje-Unor)
  13. Idabor (Issele-Uku)
  14. Agbambu Oshue (Ibusa)

Some of the Anioma towns that participated were:

   1. Isheagwu
   2. Kwale
   3. Ugbolu
   4. Obiaruku
   5. Aboh
   6. Ebu
   7. Ubulu-Uku
   8. Ogwashi-Uku
   9. Akumazi-Umuocha
  10. Onicha-Ado (Onitsha)
  11. Obomkpa
  12. Ezi
  13. Issele-Uku
  14. Ilah
  15. Okpanam
  16. Issele-Azagba
  17. Owa
  18. Ibusa
  19. Idumuje-Ugboko
  20. Agbor
  21. Igbodo
  22. Umunede
  23. Asaba
  24. Ute-Okpu
  25. Ashama
  26. Idume-Ugbo

Why Asari Dokubo turned against President Jonathan

by Elombah.com

THE Okrika National Youth Movement said, on Friday, that personal issues rather than altruistic national agenda are behind the attacks launched by Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari against President Goodluck Jonathan and his government.Dokubo-Asari had, at a press conference held in Abuja and separate media interviews, criticised

President Jonathan for neglecting the South-South region, adding that a clique had hijacked the president. 

He said that the neglect of the South-South by Jonathan could cost him a second term in office in 2015.

He also claimed that the said clique controlling the president caused the feud between Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo. 

But the Okrika Youth Movement in a statement signed by its president, Mr Anthony Amieyefori, and secretary, Comrade Ibiyoma Lloyd, said that the former militant was fighting a selfish battle and that he had decided to voice out having failed to get a renewal of the contract for pipeline security granted him and some former militants. 

The group said: “Asari owns a pipeline security outfit to stem the rising wave of piracy on the Niger Delta waters but failed to work for the objectives for which the contract was given after millions of dollars have been paid to him.“In spite of the shameful failure above, he and those in his category have mounted series of pressures on the presidency, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as well as the petroleum minister for the renewal of such contracts. 

This is most unfortunate and goes to show that unlike Government Ekpomupolo (Tompolo) whose Oil Facility Surveillance Company is working in the Delta axis to rid the state of oil thieves, Asari’s supposed struggle is about self and self alone.”

The group also linked recent outbursts of the ex-militant to alleged attempts to get one of his favourites appointed as Niger Delta minister, adding that the cold shoulders he had received from the presidency led to the recent outbursts.According to the group, the declarations of Dokubo-Asari were not representative of the views of the people of the Niger Delta, whom the group said were firmly in support of President Jonathan and his policies. 

The group further wrote: “We are convinced that another vital reason for Dokubo-Asari’s attack on President Jonathan is not unconnected with his consistent lobby on behalf of his friend, a presidential aide whom he (Asari) wants appointed as Niger Delta minister. 

“Therefore, we implore all Nigerians to ignore Asari and regard his vituperations as products of a helpless lobbyist, who is acting the script of personal interests and those of his friends who have personalised every opportunity arising from their supposed struggle for the people of the Niger Delta.” 

“In a nutshell, Asari’s comments do not reflect the opinion of the Niger Delta people as he speaks for himself and he is acting the orchestrated script of some unseen over-ambitious persons within the presidency.

Is Captain Wada a Nigerian?: DON’T FLY ME ABROAD —Kogi Governor

By News Express

This is unlike the typical Nigerian high government official. Hospitalised Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada (retd.) has cast a vote of confidence for the country’s medical system by directing that he should not be flown abroad for treatment in connection with Friday’s accident in which he fractured his right thigh, among other injuries.

The governor passed the directive through Felix Ogedengbe, the doctor treating him in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. Ogedengbe, who is the Medical Director of Cedarcrest Hospital, to which Wada was taken after initial treatment at the Kogi State Specialist, Lokoja, had earlier advised against flying the governor abroad. Satisfied with the services being given to him at the hospital, Wada accepted the advice.

Dr. Ogedengbe told newsmen yesterday: “When the governor was brought in at 8pm (on Friday),  we were told he was involved in a car accident and we checked him and explained the nature of his injuries to him. We also told him about our ability to manage the injuries. He had a broken thigh and he was taken to the theatre. The governor has since stabilised and he had a nice night; he said he would not be taken abroad for treatment because he has confidence in our capacity to manage him. There is no immediate need to fly him abroad.”

Continuing, the doctor said: “The governor is quite happy to take treatment here; the treatment is on-going. He needs some days in the hospital and I can’t give a date of discharge now.”

As earlier reported by News Express and some other media outlets, Governor Wada’s family is considering flying him abroad “for better medical attention” as is the custom among to Nigerian government functionaries.

Briefing newsmen in Lokoja yesterday afternoon, Jacob Edi, Special Assistant to Wada, also confirmed that his boss prefers to be treated in the country.

The accident, which occurred on the Lokoja – Ajaokuta expressway, around Salem University, took the life of the governor’s Aide de Camp (ADC), Idris Mohamed, an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

News Express reports that three Nigerian state governor are presently receiving medical treatment abroad. They are Taraba’s Danbaba Suntai, who had a copter crash last October 25, Enugu’s Sullivan Chime and Cross River’s Governor Liyel Imoke – both of whom are down with unclear sicknesses.

Asaba Mass Genocides of 1967: Shall Murtala Ever Be Forgiven?

Emeka Esogbue


Murtala Ramat Mohammed (1938-1976) represents the greatest tragedies that befell Ndi Ngbo during the civil war. The ill-trained and undisciplined failed Nigerian soldier sought to annihilate the Ibo-speaking parts of the then Mid-west and completely remove the communities from the world map.

He left no stone unturned as he swept every one of the communities one after the other dishing them with genocidal gifts, the first that the African continent ever witnessed. Incredibly, the Federal Government of Nigeria would unquestionably immortalize his soul with infamous appearance in the nation's 20 naira currency, something unexpected of any government sensitive to the cause of the citizenry.

The impossibility to recount his contributions to the development of the nation because none exists must be admitted. It is also incredible that the true Nigerian society that forbids military sortie in politics would celebrate such a military leader whose reign was so short that nothing could be written of his contributions. There is nothing that exposes sentiments as much as history and this is what times gone by have done to Murtala teaching us that only unexplained sentiments have promoted because but for death in the hand of Dimka, Murtala would have remained unknown character in the history of Nigerian leadership.

By January 1966, the British truly interested in monetary gains arising from the exploitation of Nigeria had prepared Yakabu Gowon, Murtala Muhammed, Theophilus Danjuma, Ibrahim Haruna and Ibrahim Taiwo and indeed the northern region.

The utmost aim of the British was that its better gains were derivable from one Nigeria, marginalization or no marginalization of other ethnic groups. The British thus goaded the northerners against other ethnic groups with unsolicited political supports which hastened the civil war of 1967. It was the announcement issued by the British in the BBC medium that first gave the northerners a weedy idea that the Nzeogwu coup was Igbo motivated. And the north understood this, the battle line was drawn between the North and Eastern region in which millions of people lost their lives.

It was this battle that gave birth to Murtala, a "Local champion" called Ibrahim Haruna and Ibrahim Taiwo of the Nigerian Army. Africans first had the practical experience of the word "genocide" in Igbodo where hundreds of lives were lost in the Nigerian civil war. In Isheagu, the case was not different. It was here that the ulterior motive of the Nigerian troop clearly unfolded.

The people were now scampering for the safety of their lives having experienced what happened in Igbodo and some other places. In the Midwestern region, able bodied men went into hiding leaving women and children at the mercy of advancing soldiers. The people of Benin went identifying their Ibo-speaking neighbours from house to house for executions.


The Federal troop led by Murtala Muhammed arrived at the Asaba Division, power drunk with an aim to annihilate the people and return to Lagos with the blood of the people in his hands. Murtala hoped that the voices of the people would not be heard again.


Chief Philip Asiodu in his speech "How Mid-western Ibos Suffered During Civil war", October 20, 2009 recounts that "Earlier on the 5th and 6th following the conquest of Asaba by the Federal Army from the rebel or Biafran forces after the last stand by the latter around. St. Patrick's college area, dozens of civilians were apprehended and shot".

In another article written by Obi Nwakanma titled "Revisiting the Asaba Massacre" a mention is made on how victims were ordered to dance at the town square before men were separated from women and killed. The horrendous crime carried out human beings provokes the mind and prepares the people of Nigeria on what lies ahead of any region of the country but nothing provokes the mind more than to learn that the killings conducted by Murtala and Ibrahim Taiwo group were supervised.

Ifeanyi Uraih was specific when he added that Col Taiwo Ibrahim ordered everyone to come to the town square, that it was time to dance around town and join their brotherens.  The innocent people did as they were told thinking it was a victory party. At that point Col Taiwo Ibrahim honestly told them that they were to be killed, took them to a mounted machine and wasted them. Uraih survived because he was buffered by bodies that were shot around him and also on top of him.

Although Emma Okocha has relayed much of the Asaba massacre in his book "Blood on the Niger" but words cannot adequately capture genocides that occurred within the Asaba Division as supervised by Murtala, Ibrahim Taiwo and Ibrahim Haruna. Murtala's killer squad advanced Ibusa, a community about 6 miles from Asaba.

The group left the town having satisfied itself with war crimes while leaving behind emotional accounts. The killings in Ibusa took a new dimension when mass rape of ladies was added to it. It was so terrible and horrendous that the tragedy originated swear in the dialect of the people "Soldier La Gbue". Meaning "May soldiers rape you to death" this form of bad language is still use today.

Those who got hint of the impending advancement of the Federal Army and what happened in nearby Asaba fled for their dear lives to Mgbotukpe, thick forest located in the town.

When the soldiers left the community for Ogwashi-Uku another nearby community what was left were faces inside the St. Augustine's Catholic Church, Ibusa with bodies littering the town. Even then, the soldiers acting on orders made sure that few or no houses remained firm to its foundation in the town. Such was the impunity with which they sent souls to the world beyond. In fact, collapsed houses are still testimonies of the vapid wrecking of lives and properties in the town.

With the genocides in Asaba and Ibusa especially, the people of Ogwashi-Uku had known the fate of what was to befall them in advance. Surprisingly, one is unsure for the reason behind the horrendous magnitude of what befall the community even though the people were living testimonies of the fate of Igbodo, Isheagu, Asaba and Ibusa. The story is that worse fate than Ibusa befell Ogwashi-Uku and mass graves in the town testifies to this.

Interestingly, Yakubu Gowon, the man who was the military Head of State at the time has on two different occassions apologized to the people of Asaba. The last apology was tendered at Asaba Township Stadium, venue of his "Nigeria Prays" rally. He tendered apology for the mass killing of their kinsmen pointing out that he did not approve the killings.

He further stated "It came to me as a shock when I came to know of the unfortunate happenings that happened to the sons and daughters of this state especially of this (Asaba) domain. I felt very touched and honestly I referred to it (killings) and ask for forgiveness being the one who was in charge that time.

Certainly, it is not something I would have approved of in whatsoever. I was ignorant of it, I think until it appeared in the papers. A young man wrote a book at that time" (Austin Ogwuda, Gowon Faults Setting up of Oputa Panel, Monday, December 9, 2002.

The interesting question is if Gowon was ignorant of the genocides that swept the Ibo-speaking communities including Owerri, who ordered the gruesome exercise? It is very unfortunate that Gowon as a leader failed to set up an enquiry into what really happened at least as at the time he read it in the papers. This is where the arrow of guilt points to Murtala Muhammed the leader of the troop, Ibrahim Haruna and Ibrahim Taiwo.

Major-Gen. Haruna Ibrahim, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Two division of the Army during the civil war testifying for the Arewa Consultative Forum at the Oputa Panel on Tuesday, 9th October 2001 said he had no regrets for the Asaba massacre of Igbo in which his troop killed 500 men.

He maintained that whatever action he or his troop took during the war was motivated by a sense of duty to to protect the unity of Nigeria. To this end heconcluded that he had no regrets over the massacres at Asaba, Owerri and Ameke-Item. This baffled the Ohaneze group.

These tragedies are rarely acknowledged by the Nigerian Government which has entirely swept the massacres under the carpet. This makes memories of the tragedy hazy but the oral history of the people has continued to prevail. While the people are hoping that the acknowledgement of the deaths of their loved ones and sacrileges carried out in the communities with permanent memorials to their loved ones would bring measure of justice.

Professors of History and Anthropology from the University of South Florida in cooperation with USF Libraries Holocaust & Genocide Studies Centre are attempting to document and memorize the mass killings that took place in Asaba region more than 40 years ago but it will just be wiser and more result oriented if the study center include other areas such as Igbodo, Isheagu, Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Owerri, Ameke-Item were such genocides also took place.