Denge Onoh Blasts Gowon Over Civil War Remarks, Says ‘Palm Trees Story’ Trivialises Millions of Deaths
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Former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly and ex-South-East spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Denge Onoh, has criticised former Head of State Yakubu Gowon over recent comments on civilian casualties during the Nigerian Civil War, describing the remarks as a dangerous minimisation of the human tragedy of the conflict.
Onoh was reacting to Gowon’s statement during an interview on Arise Television in which the former military ruler reportedly said most bullets fired by Nigerian troops during the war hit palm trees rather than people.
In a statement, Onoh argued that the comments contradicted historical accounts, eyewitness testimonies and international reports on the 1967–1970 civil war, which he said claimed an estimated three million lives largely through starvation, disease, bombings and combat operations.
He further questioned the credibility of Gowon’s autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, accusing the former Head of State of sustaining a defensive narrative that downplays the humanitarian consequences of the war.
While acknowledging Gowon’s post-war “No Victor, No Vanquished” policy and the 3Rs programme of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction, Onoh insisted that true national healing can only come through open acknowledgment of the suffering endured during the conflict.
