Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo has asserted that the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) was not waged to unify the country but to seize control of the crude oil deposits in the Eastern Region, which was predominantly controlled by the Igbo people. According to Omirhobo, the war was orchestrated to subjugate the Igbos and transfer control of these resources to the northern region, with Britain playing a decisive role in the process.
“The true objective was never unity,” Omirhobo stated, rejecting the war’s official narrative as a campaign for national cohesion. “Are we united today, 54 years after the so-called oil war disguised as the Nigerian-Biafran war? The answer is no—our divisions are deeper than ever.”
Omirhobo criticized General Yakubu Gowon, the Head of State during the war, calling him a “coward and clueless opportunist.” He accused Gowon and northern military officers of killing Igbo colleagues and civilians across Nigeria without justification. In fear of retaliation, he claimed, Gowon initially moved the Central Bank of Nigeria to the North and prepared to implement “Code Araba,” a plan for northern secession.
However, according to Omirhobo, Britain intervened, advising Gowon not to settle for secession but to aim for full control of the country and its resources. “Britain asked Gowon, ‘Why settle for half when you can have all?'” Omirhobo said, arguing that this marked a shift in Gowon’s stance, leading him to adopt unity as a pretext for maintaining control over the oil-rich eastern region.
Omirhobo emphasized that, despite the end of the war, oil wealth remains concentrated in the hands of northern elites, leaving the people of the Niger Delta and other southern regions marginalized. “All the oil wells are owned by the North, which doesn’t even have a single drop of crude oil. They occupy top positions in the NNPC, while others struggle for crumbs,” he concluded.
His statement challenges the traditional narrative of the Nigerian Civil War, drawing attention to the central role of oil, foreign interests, and regional power dynamics in Nigeria’s history.
