Back in Lagos
From Liz Bird:
Choosing fabric at the market
For the first time, we were able to spendd a little longer in Lagos, and we experienced the highs and lows of life in this incredibly busy and vibrant city. A visit to the National Museum gave us a taste of Nigerian heritage, including a room devoted to the political history of the country, and some fascinating traditional stone sculptures (no photos allowed, unfortunately!). But like everywhere in Lagos, the museum is not immune to the perpetual power outages that plague the city, and have produced a booming business in home generators for those who can afford it. The moment we walked in the door, the power went out; from then on a portable generator was brought from room to room as we moved through the building.
A narrow walk way through the Lagos market
Later we visited some of the teeming markets in Lagos. There are dozens of markets, each being best known for particular specialties, such as meat, produce, fish, snails, or household goods. We went in search of bolts of fabrics, and found a dizzying selection, such as the beautiful wax prints that originated in Indonesia but are now customized all over West Africa. Another popular style is known as ankara, a printed cloth that comes in an endless range of colors and patterns. Typically, Nigerian women buy cloth and then have it made into two-piece outfits (a top and skirt) or one-piece dresses, each worn with matching head-wear known as gele – a rectangular piece of cloth that be tied in different ways to give different looks. With the help of a friend, we bargained for a variety of cloth pieces, and also bought some beads and other souvenirs. We also got used to the constant calls of “Oyinbo!” (white person), which followed us through the market stalls as merchants tried to attract our attention.
Vendors take advantage of the Lagos "go-slow"
Mapping important sites
A bullet hole visible in the balcony railing
From Liz Bird:
After a very full day on the 7th, during which we not only attended the commemoration, but also completed another few interviews, we were busy again on our last full day in Asaba. One of our goals this time was to use GPS to plot various key sites involved in the events four decades ago, in order to create an interactive map. So on Saturday, guided by our friend Chuck Nduka-Eze, we set out record these locations.
Medua Uraih, an older brother of our friend Ify Uraih, showed us around the family house at 42 Ugbomanta Road, where troops burst in and terrorized the family. He showed where the soldiers entered and sprayed the house with bullets; on the second floor balcony, bullet holes are still clearly visible on the metal railings. Later however, a federal officer, Captain Matthias, who was appalled at the slaughter going on, moved troops into the ground floor of the house, and protected many extended family members, who all survived the killings.
Unfortunately, Medua, Ify, and their brothers Paul and Emmanuel, along with their father Robert, had already joined the parade to Ogbeosawa on October 7. Paul, Emmanuel, and Robert died, while Medua was gravely injured. He still carries scars on his back where bullets felled him.
Outside the Uraih house (l-r) Chuck Nduka-Eze, Ify Nduka-Eze, Medua Uraih, Fraser Ottanelli
We thanked him for his hospitality, and continued around several more sites. Chuck introduced us to his sister, Ify, and showed us the impressive new statue and small park dedicated to his late father, Sylvester Nduka-Eze, a very prominent nationalist politician who is much revered in Asaba. It was an interesting morning.
The procession from Ogbe-Osawa
From Fraser Ottanelli
As the parade made its way down Nnebisi Road, the town came to a standstill; large numbers of people lined both sides of the street while stores and businesses, including the usually bustling Central Market, were closed for the day. At the end of the parade hundreds of people reconvened in the large multipurpose hall across from St. Joseph’s.
The procession moves along the road from the grave-site. (Ify Uraih is in the center).
This part of the event was presided over by Chief (Dr.) L.C.C. Odogwu who, in addition to heading the Asaba Development Union, also holds the ceremonial title of Imagwe of Asaba. Speaking in front of a packed hall, with news crews and reporters from national and local television stations in attendance, several speakers acknowledged the role that our project had played (and continues to play) in helping to bring attention to the terrible events that almost destroyed this community. We were also provided an opportunity to express our appreciation to all who had shared their stories and experiences and to the community that has embraced us. The final event of the day was the screening of our video “The Most Vulnerable Nigerians: The Story of the Asaba Massacres” which was very well received. As the event came to an end we hurried off to begin another round of interviews.
Asaba Memorial Day 2011
From Liz Bird:
Forty four years ago, on October 7, 1967, hundreds of men, women, and children were summoned from their homes in the five quarters of Asaba, to parade through the town and issue an official speech of welcome to the occupying federal forces. It was not a joyful occasion, but rather a desperate effort to put an end to the violence that had claimed many lives in the previous two days.
Chanting “One Nigeria,” and wearing akwa ocha, the white woven cloth worn for ceremonial occasions, the crowds moved down Nnebisi Road, Asaba’s main street, led by prominent elders. As we describe elsewhere on the blog, the parade ended in tragedy, with the brutal deaths of up to 800 men and boys at the hands of the federal forces.
Model of the Asaba Memorial Monument, being built under the direction of the Asaba Development Union at the Ogbe-osawa site. The monument is currently about one third completed.
Last year, the community, under the leadership of the Asaba Development Union, formally commemorated the massacre with a service and procession, and this year we were invited to attend the second Asaba Memorial event. The day began with a prayer service under awnings set up at Ogbe-Osawa, the site of the largest killing and unmarked mass grave. We were honored to wear akwa ocha shawls, gifts from our friends Ify Uraih and his sister, Victoria Nwanze.
The day began with a welcome from Chief Louis Odogwu, the President General of the ADU, and continued with invocations, prayers, and hymns from a choir of young people. Father Patrick Isichei, a well-known scholar and Catholic priest, gave a moving address; it began with an account of how all his male cousins and uncles were killed by soldiers while attending the funeral of another relative on the day the troops arrived. Many more of his relations died soon after. As he said, “Asaba people suffered so senselessly and are still finding it difficult to make sense of it,” and yet it is important to honor and remember the dead. Father Isichei concluded that there is no better way to do this “than to free our hearts of all bitterness and hostility” and think toward the future of the next generation.
As the service concluded, we all assembled to retrace the parade from 44 years ago, carrying lighted candles and heading back along Nnebisi Road.
The parade leaders set off from Ogbe-Osawa
We learn more stories
From Liz Bird:
Since coming to Asaba, we have completed five more interviews, to add to those completed previously. Although we’re now quite confident that we have a good grasp of the events of 1967, every interview offers some unique perspective.
We heard today from a man who described a horrific ordeal that happened on the morning of October 7, some distance away from the parade that resulted in hundreds of deaths at Ogbe-Osawa village. He was among a large group of young men and boys who were rounded up by soldiers and taken to an open area. He watched as those with him were lined up, and one by one, were given shovels and ordered to dig shallow graves for those already killed, before being forced to lie down themselves, and be shot.
He described how he covered the body ahead of him, and lay down awaiting his turn to be killed. At that moment, an officer arrived at the scene, demanding what the boys had done to deserve this horrible fate. The officer then ordered the killing to stop, and the survivors ran as far away from the area as possible. He described the utter helplessness felt by the victims as they awaited their turn to die, “like lambs to the slaughter,” and estimated that up to 200 young men died at that place.
Another interviewee, Martina Osaji, described the death of her father, shot by soldiers as they rampaged through the town. She spoke of the need to honor the life of her father, a teacher who was widely known and loved. Like many others, she did not believe such remembering stirred up hatred or a sense of anger. She felt the time for anger was past, but that the stories of those who died should be told, so that the community could finally heal.
Traditional Leadership in Asaba
From Fraser Ottanelli:
We meet with the Asagba of Asaba
Asaba still enjoys the strong sense of community usually associated with smaller towns. Among the most important expressions of communal identity is allegiance to the traditional ruler, or king, known as the Asagba. More than a ceremonial title, the holder of this position enjoys great cultural influence over many aspects of the town’s life. In fact it would have been impossible for us to conduct research without the support of the Palace.
The official seal on the gate of the Asagba's Palace
At every stage of the project we have enjoyed the support of the current Asagba of Asaba, H.R.M Prof. Chike Edozien, who, before ascending to the title of King, was a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Within hours of our arrival we were summoned to meet with him along with some of the most distinguished titled members of the community. There we shared information on the progress made since our last trip, and our report was very well received. We are confident that, with the support of the Asagba, a suitable space will be secured to display the exhibit on the Asaba massacre.
The distinctive sights of Asaba
Nigerian Star beer
- Local cafe menu
From Liz Bird:
Although of course we came to continue our research and speak to more survivors of the 1967 atrocity, we also enjoy seeing some now familiar sights of Asaba. The Niger river is much higher than in previous visits, and is flowing quite rapidly – a contrast to the muddy, slow-running river of previous trips.
An Asaba lizard
It’s fun to see the ubiquitous orange-headed lizards, some as long as a foot, which scurry everywhere in large numbers. Apart from the occasional bird, these seem to be the only wildlife around; even domestic dogs and cats are very scarce.
After our long travels, we welcome the taste of the local Star beer, which arrives in bottles so large that you think you’ll never finish it – but they somehow go down quite easily! And the local food is equally distinctive, featuring hot peppers, beans, and all manner of meat varieties, from wonderful fresh fish to chicken gizzards or the ever-present “bush meat.” I was fascinated by the sign at a café across the street, which featured “point and kill;” our friend told us that this refers to how customers identify the particular living fish they want to eat, and it soon arrives freshly cooked on the plate.
Already we have met many people we came to know in our previous visits, and we’re thrilled to receive such a warm welcome from everyone. And now, down to work!
A local bar celebrates the U.S. President!
