Account For Your Role In Killing Of 300 Igbo People In 1969 – Fani-Kayode Tells Buhari

Director of Media of the Peoples Democratic Party
Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Chief Femi
Fani-Kayode, has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC)
presidential candidate, Major-General Muhammadu
Buhari (retd) to account for his role in January 29, 1969
coup d ‘etat, during which about 300 Igbo people were
slaughtered.
Fani-Kayode made the demand during a press conference
he addressed in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, where he
called on the South-East voters to shun the APC
presidential candidate at the polls.
According to him, the role played in the massacre of
defenceless Igbos by the army division in which Buhari
served, was part of the questions that was to have been put
to Buhari during the sitting of the Justice Chukwudufu
Oputa-led panel which he shunned. However, he said it
was important that Buhari addressed the issues now that
he is seeking to become the president of the country.
“We attended caucus meetings with them and the
questions that kept coming up on the issue of the
presidential election centred on the role Buhari played in
the very sad events of the night of January 29, 1966, when
a coup d’état took place in our country, during which no
fewer than 300 Igbo army officers, a sitting head of state,
General Aguiyi-Ironsi and a serving governor of the old
Western Region, Colonel Fajuyi, were killed in the most
brutal fashion in less than 24 hours.
“It is important for us to look into this today, considering
the fact that Buhari is aspiring to be the next president of
Nigeria.
“The Nigerian people have a right to know the truth about
Buhari’s role in the tragic events of that night, as they do
not deserve to be kept in the dark. We deserve to know
who did what, who to and how many times. That is the
message I got from most of the Igbo leaders I met on this
tour and that is certainly the feeling of most Nigerians.
The days of feeding our people with half-truth and telling
them not to discuss the ugly events of the past which were
long over. It does not stop there.
“The other issues that were raised centred on the role
Buhari allegedly played during the very tragic events in
the core north in the mid 60s just before the Civil War,
when no fewer than 100,000 innocent and defenceless
Igbo civilians, mainly women and children, were killed
within a period of three months by irate and armed local
mobs.
“Many have asked and wondered whether it was true that
Buhari was amongst those that covertly orchestrated and
encouraged those killings, as well as supported the
slaughter of those innocent and helpless citizens.

We
consider this issue most relevant today, because this same
man, who some people have alleged was involved in this
carnage and genocide, is desperate to become the next
president of Nigeria.

“We give thanks to God that Igboland is now a vital and
integral part of a united and indivisible Nigeria and that
the pains of the Civil War are many years behind us, yet
the wounds inflicted on our minds must be healed and
completely too.

“This can only be done by the exposition and enunciation
of truth and when those who committed the most heinous
atrocities against innocent civilians, women and children,
even many years ago, are brought to justice. This can only
be done after the souls of the innocents that were
slaughtered are appeased by ensuring that anyone, no
matter how highly placed, who committed or encouraged
any crime against humanity at any point in time in our
history against fellow Nigerians is brought to book.

“The best way to do this is not to dismiss these grave and
serious questions, because this man was accused of
participating in the terrible atrocities against the Igbo,
both on January 29, 1966 and during the course of the
massacre of innocent civilians in the North in September,
October and November 1966.

“At this juncture, we must ask this painful, yet pertinent
question: Is it true that the blood of the Igbo people ran up
to the knees of Buhari on the night of July 29, 1966? This
question, among others were put to Buhari during the
sitting of the late Oputa-led panel in 2001 and instead of
him answering them accordingly, for attendant matters to
be settled once and for all and, if these allegations were
indeed true, for him to ask for forgiveness, Buhari refused
to turn up. Instead of coming clean and making use of this
historic opportunity to settle the matter once and for all
and make peace, Buhari went to court to ask for an
injunction to restrain the panel from compelling him to
come and give answers.

“This is very unfortunate and it is nothing but a sad and
graphic reflection of his unrepentant and vicious mindset.
The truth is that it is because he failed to face the Oputa-
led panel and answer those questions 14 years ago, that we
are still asking those questions today,” he said.