A legal luminary and the Isama Ajie of Asaba Kingdom, Chief Chuck Chukwuemeka Nduka-Eze, has pushed for a monument to be initiated internally within the new Asagba Palace to honour thousands of Asaba people—mostly men—killed by federal troops six decades after the Nigerian Civil War.

Chief Nduka-Eze made the suggestion while revalidating his oath of allegiance to the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN), the Asagba-in-Council, and the Asaba community in Asaba, Delta State.

He said the move to renew the call was for official recognition and remembrance of the 1967 massacre, in which over a thousand civilians were killed.

Describing the incident as one of the most painful and unspeakable chapters in Nigeria’s history, the Isama Ajie of Asaba lamented the lack of public acknowledgement for the atrocity, which occurred during the early stages of the war when federal forces entered Asaba en route to Biafra.

“The people killed were Nigerians. It was a disaster that happened on Nigerian soil. So, we will continue to ask that something be done about it.

“We feel that the time has come for us to have our own local monument, initiated internally by us. Hence, the suggestion that we should have a location within the palace to observe it, so that when people visit the palace, they would share in that part of our history.

“Look at Asaba today—you wouldn’t believe such a thing happened because we are a resilient people and patriotic Nigerians. But we must remember them, to remind others of the things that went wrong,” he said.

Citing present-day tragedies in places like Gaza, Israel, and Palestine, he stressed that remembrance is key to preventing history from repeating itself.

The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, expressed confidence in the loyalty of Chief Nduka-Eze, noting that the oath renewal was a reaffirmation rather than a necessity.

The monarch commended the Isama Ajie for his dedication to the kingdom, stating, “I have no cause to doubt your loyalty to me.”