Biafra War: IPOB Slams Gowon, Compares His Legacy to Hitler

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a scathing response to former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, accusing him of attempting to whitewash the history of the Nigerian Civil War and comparing his legacy to that of Adolf Hitler. The group condemned Gowon’s recent comment that the war was fought “for unity and not hatred,” calling it a provocative and insulting distortion of history.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB described Gowon’s remarks as a shameless attempt to rewrite the narrative of the Biafran genocide, alleging that his command was responsible for the deaths of over five million Biafrans. The group said Gowon’s comments were not only insensitive but a “grotesque distortion” of the war’s brutal reality, likening his actions to the atrocities committed by Hitler during the Holocaust.

IPOB accused Gowon of showing no remorse for his role in the war, citing continued denial of events such as the starvation policies, aerial bombardments, and executions carried out during the conflict. The group described Gowon’s references to unity as hollow and offensive, asserting that his leadership was marked not by reconciliation but by “unparalleled brutality.”

The statement also raised pointed questions about Gowon’s role in the events leading up to the war, particularly the failed Aburi Accord negotiations with Biafran leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. IPOB questioned Gowon’s motives for allegedly abandoning the agreement and accused him of pandering to foreign interests. It also challenged his narrative of the 1966 coup, rejecting claims that it was an Igbo-led conspiracy and accusing him of manipulating regional tensions for political ends.

The group further criticized Nigeria’s current political structure, calling it a colonial creation that fosters exploitation and division. IPOB argued that forced unity cannot sustain a nation built on “coercion and systemic marginalization” and maintained that Nigeria’s various ethnic groups have irreconcilable differences under the current framework.

Rejecting what it called “sanctimonious rhetoric,” IPOB urged Biafrans around the world to reject Gowon’s “revisionist narrative” and to stand firm in the push for self-determination. The group concluded that the only path forward is truth, justice, and liberation, asserting that no public relations campaign can erase the legacy of the war or silence the voices of those who perished.

IPOB reaffirmed its commitment to the struggle for Biafra’s independence, stating that the time for justice and freedom is now.