For far too long, the Igbos in Nigeria have borne the unbearable weight of systemic marginalization, political disenfranchisement, economic deprivation, and historical distortion – all perpetuated by a deliberate, malicious and grotesque falsehood that has finally been debunked and shattered. The recent revelations by former military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), exonerating the Igbo as plotters of the 1966 coup, and that Nigeria has operated under the historical lie that the January 1966 coup was an Igbo conspiracy, should shake the conscience of this nation. In his new book, A Journey in Service, IBB stated without equivocation that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup. This truth is not merely an academic correction; it is an unmasking of one of the greatest injustices in Nigerian history. The consequences of this dangerous lie have been devastating. From the barbaric pogroms that culminated in the Biafran War to the calculated economic sabotage that followed, the Igbos have been persecuted, punished, and pushed to the margins for a crime they never committed. Therefore, the Njiko Igbo Forum’s demand for N100 trillion in reparations for the systemic injustices endured by Igbo people since 1966, is not just justified; it is a moral, historical, and legal necessity, that is long overdue.
For decades, Nigeria has been built on a foundation of historical deceit, one that falsely painted the January 1966 coup as an Igbo conspiracy. This convenient scapegoating provided justification for massacres, economic dispossession, and political exclusion. The false narrative that the Igbo were solely responsible for the coup has led to decades of discrimination and violence against the Igbo people, culminating in the tragic events of the Nigerian Civil War and the continued marginalization of the Igbos till this day. This narrative provided justification for mass killings, destruction of Igbo-owned businesses, the infamous “20 pounds policy,” and the entrenched political exclusion of the Southeast. The revelation that the coup’s leadership included officers from multiple ethnic groups and was intended to install Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Prime Minister demolishes the very basis of the Igbo’s persecution and exposes the grave injustice done to the Igbos.
The 1966 coup, often mischaracterized as an “Igbo coup,” was, in fact, a multi-ethnic effort involving commanders and leaders from various regions of Nigeria. The evidence presented by IBB and other firsthand accounts of the coup’s planning make it clear that the Igbo have been wrongfully accused and punished for crimes they did not commit. The Nigerian government must acknowledge this historical injustice and take meaningful steps to address the harm done to the Igbo people. If Nigeria truly values justice and unity, it must correct this grotesque historical error. The 1966 pogroms, where tens of thousands of innocent Igbo men, women, and children were butchered like animals, must never be forgotten. The genocidal starvation and mass slaughter during the Biafran War, where over three million defenseless Igbo civilians were exterminated, must be accounted for. The ruthless marginalization that has continued since 1970 must be confronted and rectified.
No amount of money can undo the horrors inflicted upon the Igbo people, but compensation, while unable to fully equate to the millions of lives lost and the decades of subjugation, is a necessary step towards healing and reconciliation. No financial restitution can bring back the millions of lives lost. But reparations serve a higher purpose – they acknowledge guilt, accept responsibility, and provide a tangible path toward reconciliation. The demand for N100 trillion is not an outlandish request; it is a necessary measure to compensate for decades of economic strangulation, political exclusion, and historical erasure. The world has seen precedents. Germany compensated Jewish Holocaust survivors. The United States has begun serious conversations about reparations for slavery. Even within Africa, South Africa has taken concrete steps to atone for apartheid-era atrocities. Nigeria must not remain an outlier in justice and morality. It must confront its ugly past and make amends. This is a matter of justice, not charity.
The N100 trillion demanded, represents a tangible acknowledgment of the suffering endured by the Igbos and a commitment to rectifying the wrongs of the past. Beyond compensation, this demand is a call for recognition, apology, and restitution for the rejection, hate, marginalization, pogrom/genocide, and economic losses suffered by the Igbos. It is a call for equity in a nation that has systematically sidelined a vital component of its national fabric. Though financial reparations are crucial, they must be complemented by full political and economic reintegration of the Igbos. The Southeast must no longer be sidelined in federal appointments, infrastructure projects, and key decision-making processes. The economic sabotage against Igbo businesses must end immediately. Nigeria must not only pay reparations but must guarantee the Igbo a future where they can live, thrive, and lead as equal stakeholders in the national project. Furthermore, the recent call for the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, to disclose the full truth about the 2023 elections is another pressing issue in the larger fight for justice. History must not be rewritten decades later when the damage has already been done. Nigeria must learn from its past and ensure transparency and integrity in its present governance.
In conclusion, the demand for reparations by the Igbo people is a just and necessary call for justice. The Nigerian government must take this opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future for all Nigerians. The truth is out. The Igbo did not orchestrate the 1966 coup, and they must no longer be persecuted for a crime they did not commit. The Nigerian government must act with urgency. The National Assembly must take up the reparations bill without delay. A formal, unequivocal apology must be issued. Concrete steps must be taken to right this historic wrong. Reparations are not a privilege; they are an obligation. Nigeria stands at a moral crossroads: it can either continue on its path of injustice and hypocrisy or it can choose truth, reconciliation, and justice. It is time for Nigeria to atone for its past and cleanse itself of its historical sins and make amends. Only then can this nation truly heal and move forward as a united entity. The Igbo people will no longer be silenced. Justice must be done, and it must be done NOW.
