Anebi
Former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, on Wednesday said the Biafra war was never meant to be against the Igbos.
Gowon said he wanted to get Nigeria united, hence he enforced a code of conduct during the war.
He superintendent over Nigeria during the Biafra civil war from 1967 to 1970.
The civil war led to the death of thousands of Nigerians in the old Eastern region.
However, Gowon said he charged the Nigerian soldiers to only take up arms against the Biafra forces.
In an interview with Arise Television, he said he warned soldiers against killing women and children.
He said: “I was not aware of a counter coup in 1966, I was unaware until that very night when I was woken up to say something had happened in Abeokuta.
“The war was something we didn’t expect, there were reactions against the unitary system of government.
“I had a responsibility to keep Nigeria united and I warned that if the situation gets to this stage where I have to choose to align with the break up or the other side, I know where my responsibility is – my loyalty is to the country.
“From the beginning I never wanted the war against the Igbos as such but it was to stop the breaking up of Nigeria.
“So what I did was to give a code of conduct on how the operations were to go, you are not fighting the people, make sure you protect the people, protect the women and their children – only take up arms against those who take arms against you and any distraction against the population that is not correct will be dealt with.
“We tried to send leaflets against the people that the war is not against them.”
I never wanted Biafra civil war to be against Igbos – Gowon reveals orders to soldiers
