The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has called on governors of the old Eastern Nigeria, especially those in the South-East region, to declare May 30 of every year as a day of mourning for the victims of the 1967-1970 civil war.
Call for Observance
In a statement released yesterday, the OYC also urged Igbo people worldwide to wear black on May 30 to mourn those who died in what the group described as genocide against the Igbo during the conflict.
The statement, signed by the National President, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, and the Secretary-General, Ifeanyichukwu Nweke, advised the people of the old Eastern region to honor the civil war victims on May 30, 2026, by closing their businesses.
Criticism of Igbo Leaders
“Igbo governors and other leaders have abandoned the observance of Biafra Hero’s Day, a somber memorial of the tragic period in Ndigbo’s history, specifically the Biafra Genocide 1967-1970,” the statement read.
The group noted that the Yoruba proudly commemorate the virtues and ill-treatment of Moshood Abiola on June 12 every year, but Igbo political leaders fail to organize a similar event to honor their people who died in the civil war.
Political Warning
The OYC executives predicted that past and current political office holders who worked against the interest of the Igbo would lose in the 2027 election through what they called a “political Tsunami.”
The group further urged President Bola Tinubu to take reconciliatory steps on May 29, 2026, by releasing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and other detained members of pro-Biafra groups.
