A powerful new documentary film has thrust one of the most tragic and largely unacknowledged episodes of the Nigerian Civil War back into the spotlight, demanding public recognition and restitution for the victims. The film, titled “Earth Conceal Not the Blood Shed on Thee,” had its world premiere at The Africa Centre in London on October 26, 2025.
The Horrific Events of October 1967
The documentary meticulously chronicles the Asaba Massacre of October 1967, a systematic killing of scores of unarmed men from Asaba, the present-day capital of Delta State. Nigerian Army soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division carried out the atrocity, which began on October 4, 1967, and continued in waves for several weeks.
One of the most chilling testimonies in the film comes from eyewitness Celestina Isama. She recounts the moment soldiers seized her brother. “I held my brother, they pulled him out of my hands, and in my presence, shot him down,” she says. “And I fell on top of my brother, shaking him, hoping that he will stand up, but he didn’t.”
The film reveals a painful irony: the victims had gathered, dressed in white, dancing and chanting “One Nigeria” in a show of support for federal troops. They were then separated by gender. While women were taken to a maternity hospital, the men were led to the Ogbeosowe area and mowed down by machine gun fire.
A Community's Quest for Truth and Closure
Guided by the narrative of Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, the Isama Ajie of Asaba, the documentary is described by its producers as a “sacred quest of memorialisation.” It features a range of prominent voices, including Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, the late musician Onyeka Onwenu, and legal experts like Professor Jon Silverman.
Chief Nduka-Eze highlights the ongoing pain, noting that the innocent blood shed for “One Nigeria” remains unrecognised, while the names of some perpetrators are still honoured in public spaces. The current Asagba of Asaba, Professor Epiphany Azinge, stresses the need for closure, stating that a healing process spanning from 1967 to today cannot be concluded “unless there is a foreclosure.”
Pastor Ituah Ighodalo laments the lack of meaningful national dialogue, arguing the questions around the massacre have never been “effectively, really, boldly, confidently, calmly addressed.”
Broader Lessons in Justice and Resilience
The film connects the tragedy to wider themes of justice and national reconciliation. Legal scholar Professor Ibrahim Gambo Pam underscores that “justice is based on truth-telling.” Despite the deep trauma, the documentary also presents Asaba’s remarkable recovery into a thriving Delta State metropolis as a testament to human resilience.
The producers suggest that Asaba’s experience offers powerful lessons in “sangfroid resilience, survival, courage and positive accommodation” for other communities worldwide dealing with historical wounds. The central message, as emphasized by Onyeka Onwenu, is clear: “Never Again.” She urges, “We must never forget, we must tell our children, we must tell our grandchildren, they must know what happened.”
The London premiere marks a significant step in a decades-long struggle, aiming to ensure this dark chapter finally receives the recognition and remembrance its victims have long deserved.
