Authors of History and Lessons from the Nigerian Civil War (Chronologically Arranged) have recounted their painful experiences of the 1967–1970 conflict, urging Nigerians to learn from the past and avoid repeating the mistakes that led to the war.
The authors – Chief James I. Egwuonwu, Obioma N. Ikechi and Uchenna Cyril Anioke, Ph.D. – spoke on Saturday during Freedom Square Live on Solid 100.9 FM, where they shared personal memories of the war, its consequences and the lessons it holds for present-day Nigeria.
The programme also featured calls from members of the public who shared their own experiences of the conflict, with many recounting stories of displacement, hunger, fear, loss and survival.
Egwuonwu described the war as a period of intense human suffering, recalling the mobilisation of young boys and the enormous hardship experienced by civilians.
“There was deep suffering—human suffering that is difficult to describe in words. There were massive deaths, and all the men had to go to the war fronts.”
Ikechi, who was a secondary school student during the war, recalled being stopped by military personnel while taking food to his uncle, who was hospitalised in Umuahia.
“They stopped me, carried me and threw me into the ditch, together with the bicycle and the food I was taking to the patient in the hospital.”
He said such experiences must be documented so that younger Nigerians who did not witness the war can understand its consequences and appreciate the importance of dialogue.
Anioke also recalled fleeing with his family and the severe hardship they endured during the conflict.
“We were chasing rats. After catching the rats, we would cook them for food because we had to survive.”
He said his experiences, coupled with his background in History and Archaeology, contributed to his decision to help develop the book into a comprehensive historical record.
According to the authors, the book was deliberately arranged chronologically to present the events surrounding the Civil War in a factual and accessible manner, while avoiding partisan interpretations.
They said the publication was intended not only for historians but also for students, policymakers and ordinary Nigerians, particularly younger generations who did not experience the conflict.
The authors stressed that the purpose of documenting the war was not to reopen old wounds but to encourage reflection, national unity and peaceful conflict resolution.
They called for dialogue, mediation, reconciliation and empathy, warning that war brings suffering whose consequences can last for generations.
The authors said Nigeria’s diversity should not become a source of division, but a strength that unites the country.
The programme ultimately served as a reminder from those who lived through the Civil War that history must be remembered, its lessons understood, and the mistakes that produced such suffering never repeated.