Nigeria Honors Gowon at 90 as Plateau Kinsmen Endure Decades of Massacres
JOS, Nigeria—As Nigeria marked the 90th birthday of former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon on October 19, 2024, with tributes for his role in unifying the nation during the 1967-1970 Civil War, his Ngas kinsmen in Plateau State continue to suffer relentless violence, with over 200 killed in 2024 alone, per Reuters. The contrast, trending as #GowonAt90 at 110,000 X posts, underscores a nation lauding a leader’s past while his home state bleeds, amid a naira crisis at N1,610/$1 and 40% inflation, as of April 21, 2025.
A Hero’s Celebration, A Region’s Pain
Gowon, an Anglican Christian from the minority Ngas ethnic group in Plateau, was feted for his “no victor, no vanquished” speech post-Civil War, credited with fostering reconciliation, per Daily Trust. President Bola Tinubu hailed him as a “national icon,” per Vanguard, while tributes at a Lagos symposium praised his Nigeria Prays initiative, per The Nation. Yet, in Plateau’s Bokkos and Barkin Ladi, 52 were killed in April 2025 attacks by suspected Fulani herders, following 200 deaths in December 2023, per Wikipedia. #PlateauMassacres posts (90,000) lament the irony, with @Isikotebuogbaya tweeting, “Gowon’s Fulani allies butcher his people while Nigeria sings his praises.”
Decades of Violence in Plateau
Plateau, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, has faced ethnic and religious clashes since the 2001 Jos riots, which killed over 1,000, per Amnesty International. The 2022 and 2023 massacres claimed 150 and 200 lives, respectively, linked to land disputes between Muslim Fulani herders and Christian farmers, worsened by climate change, per Vatican News. Governor Caleb Mutfwang called the violence a “genocide,” per AFP, but arrests remain rare, per France24. #EndPlateauKillings posts (80,000) echo mixed-faith families’ fears, with @General_Somto noting, “Gowon’s silence on Plateau’s pain stings his kinsmen.”
Gowon’s Legacy Under Scrutiny
Gowon’s leadership during the Civil War, where 2 million died, remains divisive. Some, like @STEPHENEONYIBOR, claim he enabled Fulani dominance, now backfiring on Plateau, per X posts. His 1967 Asaba massacre oversight, killing thousands, draws criticism, with Asaba’s Obi Edozien demanding a university as compensation, per Sun News. Gowon’s 2018 restructuring dismissal as “lazy” further alienated Middle Belt youths, per News Express. Analyst Dr. Tunde Lawal said, “Gowon’s unity legacy is monumental, but his silence on Plateau’s plight questions his moral authority.”
Economic and Security Context
Plateau’s violence disrupts Nigeria’s food supply, exacerbating 40% inflation and rice at ₦100,000 per bag, per NBS. The naira’s fall to N1,610/$1 and a $2 billion IMF loan add pressure, per Bloomberg. Over 10,000 were displaced in Plateau floods, per News Ghana, while 56 died in Benue, per Reuters. #FixNigeria posts (150,000) demand action, with cultural relief from Wizkid’s Morayo, per BellaNaija. Lawal noted, “Plateau’s crisis tests Nigeria’s unity—Gowon’s vision needs action, not just nostalgia.”
A Call for Reflection
As Gowon’s Nigeria Prays seeks spiritual unity, Plateau’s mixed-faith families, like Jamaima Haruna’s, plead for peace, per AFP. #GowonAt90 posts (70,000) urge him to address his kinsmen’s suffering. With Tinubu’s return on April 21, 2025, pressure mounts for federal intervention. Will Gowon’s legacy inspire solutions, or remain a bittersweet memory.
