The second coronation anniversary of the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, will culminate in a major national remembrance of one of the darkest chapters in Nigeria’s history, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo expected to chair the Asaba Massacre Memorial Remembrance Day on October 7, 2026.

The six-day anniversary programme, running from October 2 to 7, will combine community development, culture, thanksgiving and remembrance. According to the Asagba’s Private Secretary and Secretary of the Coronation Anniversary Committee, Ogbueshi Dr Jude Ngbeze, activities will include the commissioning of a cemetery and primary school at Akwuebulu, beautification projects, the conferment of the Ogbueshi title on Desert Warrior Chief Newton Jibunoh, a Thanksgiving Mass, the official anniversary reception and a cultural parade.

The Asagba is also constructing a 1,000-capacity event centre at the permanent palace grounds, while the anniversary provides an opportunity to showcase what the traditional institution describes as achievements recorded during his first two years on the throne. Ngbeze also highlighted the monarch’s efforts to give women a stronger place in traditional governance, including recognising women as chiefs in their own right.

Chairman of the Anniversary Committee, Chief Ambassador Charles Onianwa, Ikukuoma Asaba, said the celebration was organised to honour the monarch for what he described as achievements that had been “unmatched” in his two years on the throne.

“He has taken bold steps for the good of Asaba and its people,” Onianwa said, describing the celebration as the community’s way of saying “Thank you, Nna Agu, for all you have done.” Palace Secretary and Ihonor of Asaba, Chief P.N.C. Ndili, said a large turnout was expected, while Chief Victor Nwosa, Awolika Asaba, urged the monarch to continue doing more for the community.

But it is the October 7 memorial that gives this year’s anniversary an unmistakable national significance.

Obasanjo’s acceptance comes shortly after his powerful warning that some of the conditions that produced the 1967 Civil War still exist in Nigeria today. Receiving extensive research materials, eyewitness accounts, interviews and audiovisual documentation on the Asaba Massacre from Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, Chairman of the Asaba Memorial Trust, Obasanjo declared:

“I believe that we have fought one civil war too many already.”

He warned: “God forbid” another civil war, urging Nigerians to understand what went wrong, condemn what should never have happened and do everything possible to prevent a recurrence. His ultimate message was simple: “Never again.”

Obasanjo, who acknowledged his own participation in the Civil War, said he could not provide a detailed account of the Asaba operation because it was under the command of the late General Murtala Mohammed. He nevertheless recalled personally intervening to stop a soldier from abusing a civilian woman, stressing the responsibility of commanders to prevent such acts.

He also praised Nduka-Eze’s work, saying the preservation of history enables Nigerians to understand the past, learn from it and build a better future. “We preserve the past, we capture the present, and we inspire the future,” he said, reflecting the philosophy of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

Nduka-Eze said the Asaba evidence draws on eyewitness testimonies, recorded interviews, archival materials, audiovisual documentation and historical scholarship, with the evidence pointing to more than 1,000 civilian men killed, although the precise number cannot be definitively established.

Thus, as Asaba celebrates its traditional leadership, development and culture, October 7 will also ask Nigeria to confront its past and turn Obasanjo’s “Never Again” into a national commitment.