Asagba of Asaba Renews Call for Presidential Apology Over 1967 Massacre, Seeks Federal University in Victims’ Honour

The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, has reiterated that the people of Asaba are still waiting for a formal apology from a sitting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the massacre that took place in the town 58 years ago.

Speaking on Tuesday during the Annual Memorial Anniversary of the October 7, 1967 Asaba Massacre, held in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the Nigerian Civil War, the monarch said the tragedy continues to shape the collective memory and psychology of the Asaba people.

“It is good that we came out today to honour our brothers and sisters who were killed during the Asaba massacre of October 7, 1967. We are the affected ones, and this anniversary remains important to us,” Azinge said. “Those who were born 58 years ago are now grandfathers. Imagine the fate of those left orphaned by that event. We have not abandoned this cause. On March 20, 2025, we confronted a sitting President about it, and we are ready to take the matter further. If Rwanda could rise from its tragedy, Asaba can too.”

The monarch appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to issue a formal apology to the people of Asaba, noting that such a gesture would serve as a step toward national healing. He also urged the Federal Government to establish a Federal University in Asaba to honour the victims — a demand that dates back to the reign of the 13th Asagba of Asaba.

In his remarks, the Convener of the Annual Memorial Anniversary and Isama-Aje of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, acknowledged that although President Tinubu did not respond when previously confronted about the massacre, it did not imply ignorance of the issue. He described this year’s commemoration as historic, following a motion in the Delta State House of Assembly mandating a one-minute silence every October 7 in honour of the victims.

Nduka-Eze also unveiled plans to erect a permanent monument with an eternal flame in memory of the deceased. The ceremony featured a 21-gun salute and a one-minute silence observed at both the Delta State House of Assembly and Ogwa-Ukwu, Asaba.