Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said Nigerian troops should not have fought Biafran soldiers during the Nigerian Civil War, describing civil conflicts as painful because citizens are forced to fight one another.
Obasanjo made the remark in Abeokuta on Monday while reflecting on his experiences during the 1967–1970 civil war and speaking on the importance of national unity and reconciliation.
The former president, who served as a military commander during the war, noted that civil wars differ significantly from external conflicts because the ultimate goal should be peace, reconciliation, and unity rather than destruction.
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According to him, both Nigerian troops and Biafran soldiers were citizens of the same country, making the conflict emotionally difficult for many who participated in it.
“We shouldn’t have fought ourselves. Civil war is different from fighting external enemies because at the end of the day, you are fighting your brothers,” Obasanjo said.
He added that the lessons from the war should inspire Nigerians to embrace peace, dialogue, and national unity in order to avoid another internal conflict in the future.
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, remains one of the most significant and painful events in Nigeria’s history, with millions displaced and countless lives lost during the conflict.
