How An Igbo Man Sacrificed His Life For Me During Civil War —Lalong

Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong has spoken on how he escaped death during the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) when the Biafran forces opted for secession.

Speaking during the 57th Independence anniversary church service held at the national headquarters of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Jos, Plateau State, the governor said an Igbo man sacrificed his life for him.

Lalong said the Igbo man, who was his guardian, was brutally killed after saving his life during the crisis when he was three years old, adding that the experience is one that cannot be erased from his mind.

“The memory of what happened to me when I was three years old is still fresh in my mind; an Igbo man who was my guardian that married my aunty was killed; but before he was killed, he took me and locked me inside a room.

“That memory is still fresh in my mind and anybody who is beating the drums of war has not seen it,” the governor said.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to stop carrying arms against one another and expressed dismay that some people were beating drums of disintegration of the country.

He advised the government to listen to the calls for federalism, saying, “If true federalism will address the injustice and cry of marginalisation in the country, government should be ready to address it. We should all agree to live together; nobody should give any excuse on why the country should separate.

“In the midst of the clamour for agitation and restructuring, Nigeria still stands strong in unity. I am sure that if a referendum is conducted on whether Nigeria should break up or remain united, those who want the country to break up will not be up to 10 per cent.”