The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, has renewed calls for a formal apology and reparations from the Federal Government over the 1967 Asaba Massacre, during which hundreds of unarmed indigenes were brutally killed by Nigerian soldiers at the height of the civil war.
Speaking during a solemn event marking the 58th anniversary of the tragic incident at the Asaba Ogwa Ukwu (Cultural Centre), the monarch urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take a bold and historic step by officially acknowledging the atrocity and offering an apology on behalf of the Nigerian government.
Obi Azinge described the event as not just a remembrance of pain but a celebration of the resilience, courage, and unity of the Asaba people, who, despite the loss, have rebuilt their town into one of the fastest-growing cities in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
“The once rustic, quiet town by the River Niger has today transformed into one of the fastest-growing capital cities in sub-Saharan Africa,” the monarch declared. “Asaba has progressed because of the blood of our sons and daughters massacred 58 years ago. They are martyrs we proudly identify with, our closest ancestors whose spirits we invoke today.”
He lamented that, 58 years after the massacre, no formal apology or compensation has been extended to the people of Asaba, describing it as an injustice that must be corrected. The monarch maintained that
Asaba would continue to seek justice through every available national and international platform.
“We have told the President that we deserve and need an apology from the Nigerian government, and we need a Federal University established here in Asaba in memory of our martyrs,” Obi Azinge stated. “We are prepared to take this matter wherever necessary. If Rwanda can rise from the ashes, Asaba has already done so — but we will not rest until justice is done.”
The royal father, who led his people and members of the Asaba Diaspora in observing a one-minute silence at exactly 12 noon in honour of the victims, said the massacre, though tragic, forged an unbreakable bond of unity and purpose among the people.
The convener of the memorial service and Isama Ajie of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, echoed the monarch’s call for justice and revealed that a documentary film on the Asaba Massacre would premiere in London on October 26, 2025, to bring global attention to the tragic event and the lessons it holds for humanity.
“From today henceforth, Asaba will observe a one-minute silence every October 7 at 12 noon to honour our people who were killed,” Chief Nduka-Eze announced. “A 21-gun salute will mark the occasion as a symbol of our collective respect.”
He noted that despite meeting with President Tinubu earlier in the year to present their demands, the community has yet to receive any official response from the presidency. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the people of Asaba choose reflection and peace over bitterness.
“We do not remember the massacre with anger but with reflection, because it is what the living owe the dead,” he said.
Also speaking, Hon. Bridget Anyafulu, member representing Oshimili South in the Delta State House of Assembly, called on both the state and federal governments to formally recognize the massacre as a national tragedy and take steps to immortalize the victims.
The Omu of Asaba, Dr. Amaka Boise, described the victims as martyrs whose “blood of innocence” ushered peace and blessings upon Asaba, urging the people to turn their grief into strength and unity.
The high point of the memorial event was the public reading of hundreds of names of the victims — mostly men — by representatives from Asaba’s five traditional villages: Ezenei, Ugbomata, Umuagu, Umuaji, and Umuonaje.
The emotional ceremony concluded with hymns rendered in English and Igbo by the choir of Saint John Bosco Catholic Church, with the Asagba and his queen, Agu-Nwanyi, joining in the solemn rendition — a poignant reminder that though the wounds of 1967 remain deep, the spirit of Asaba continues to endure and rise above the pain.
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