The World Igbo Youth Council (WIYC) has fixed March 17, 2025, for a peaceful protest across major cities in the South-East, Abuja, and Lagos, until an apology is rendered to lgbos over the 1966 coup.
Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) had recently during his book launch officially stated that the 1966 was not an lgbo coup.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the President General, Princess Eberechukwu Dickson, the lgbo group called on President Bola Tinubu to extend an unreserved apology to the lgbo nation, and provide reparations totalling $10 trillion.
This demand, the group said is not merely a matter of financial restitution, but a necessary acknowledgment of the profound suffering endured by the Igbo people, exacerbated by the loss of approximately 3.8 million lives during the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War (1966-1970).
“Beginning on March 17, 2025, the WIYC will initiate peaceful protests across selected cities in the South-East, as well as in Abuja and Lagos.
“These demonstrations will serve as a powerful reminder of our collective voice, and our unwavering demand for justice. We seek to compel the federal government to recognize the urgent need for an apology, which is essential for any genuine spirit of national reconciliation.
“The federal government has an ethical duty to honour the memory of the 3.8 million Igbo lives that were tragically lost during the Nigeria-Biafra conflict.
“We implore President Tinubu to summon his moral authority, and officially recognize the ongoing consequences of the Biafra War—a conflict that, despite being declared over in 1970, has morphed into a new, insidious struggle marked by economic disenfranchisement and systemic inequality.
The ramifications of this renewed conflict are more pernicious than the physical violence, and destruction suffered between 1966 and 1970.
The current iteration of the Biafra struggle is manifesting through the deliberate closure of vital economic corridors in the former Eastern Region.
“Most notably, the permanent closure of the Calabar sea port, has forced reliance on Lagos ports, drastically undermining the economic viability of the Igbo populace.
“Furthermore, the political landscape continues to inhibit Igbo aspirations for leadership, as seen in the ongoing restriction on eligible Igbo candidates aspiring to the presidency, facilitated by an inequitable quota system that subordinates merit and competency to political expediency.
“Moreover, we assert that the military leaders’ conspiracy to diminish the South-East into a mere five states, demonstrates a systematic effort to undermine the socio-political stature of the Igbo people.
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“This manipulation has propagated a cycle of disenfranchisement that continues to demean our cultural and national identity.
“In light of these realities, we call upon the federal government to fully implement the ECOWAS verdict from 2017, which mandated that reparations be made to the victims of the Nigeria-Biafra War.
“Full compliance with this directive would not only acknowledge the historical injustices faced by the Igbo nation, but would also symbolize a significant step towards healing the nationwide scars of war.
“In conclusion, the World Igbo Youth Council remains steadfast in its unwavering pursuit of justice, recognition, and reparations for the Igbo people.
“We will not waver in our resolve; our collective actions will signal to the world that we will not be silenced or ignored as we champion the dignity and rights of the Igbo nation.
“The path to true reconciliation is paved with honesty, acknowledgment, and justice, and it is a path we demand the federal government to undertake,” the group said.
