The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Anambra State Chapter, has commended Distinguished Senator Victor Umeh for his fearless and fact-based confrontation of former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), over his controversial role in the Biafra War and the atrocities committed against the Igbo people between 1967 and 1970.
Senator Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, made headlines during a national colloquium in Abuja when he addressed the lingering silence, denial, and historical distortions surrounding the Nigerian Civil War.
Speaking truth to power, Senator Umeh directly challenged General Gowon’s narrative that the war was fought to keep Nigeria united, emphasizing instead that what transpired was a brutal, genocidal campaign that led to the starvation, mass killing, and displacement of over three million Biafrans — most of them civilians, women, and children.
In a public statement released on Saturday, the OYC Anambra State Chapter, under the leadership of Comrade Onuoha Eberechukwu, hailed Senator Umeh as a true statesman and a worthy son of Ala-Igbo.
“Senator Victor Umeh has done what many fear to do. He stood before the architect of one of the darkest chapters in Nigerian history and demanded truth, justice, and accountability.
“His courage is a reflection of the burning pain and unresolved wounds that the Igbo people still carry from the genocide of 1967–70,” the statement read.
The group described Senator Umeh’s remarks as “long overdue,” stressing that the continued denial of the Biafran genocide is an insult to the memory of the millions of lives lost and a threat to national reconciliation.
“History must not be twisted to protect the image of perpetrators while silencing the truth of the victims. The Biafra War was not just a civil war — it was a systematic extermination of a people.
” The facts are there: starvation policies, carpet bombings, and mass civilian killings. Senator Umeh reminded the world that this truth cannot be buried,” OYC stated.
The youth body also called on other Igbo political leaders, traditional rulers, and intellectuals to rise above political compromise and join the collective demand for historical truth, justice, and reparations.
“It’s time for unity of purpose. The Igbo nation cannot continue to suffer the trauma of silence. We commend Senator Umeh and urge others to follow his lead. The memory of Biafra must be honored, not erased,” the Council emphasized.
OYC Anambra State reiterated its unwavering commitment to advocating for the recognition of the Biafra genocide at national and international levels.
The group said it will continue to defend the truth, protect the dignity of the Igbo nation, and push for a Nigeria where no group’s history is suppressed for the comfort of others.
“Biafra lives in the hearts of our people. It is a cry for justice, equity, and remembrance. Senator Victor Umeh has reignited that cry with boldness and clarity. We stand with him,” concluded Comrade Onuoha.
