THE three-week-long pro-Biafra protests turned bloody,
yesterday, as the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) killed nine of the protesters
and injured 18 in Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State.Pro-Biafra
protesters mount road blocks and bonfires at Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra
State, yesterday. Photos: Vincent Ujumadu.
Irked by the stubborn disposition of the pro- Biafra
agitators, who blocked the Niger Bridge Head and
refused to give way to
motorists, the JTF comprising Army, Navy, Police and Civil Defence troops,
yesterday afternoon, opened fire at protesting members of Indigenous People of
Biafra, IPOB, and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of
Biafra, MASSOB, killing nine people and injuring 18. Five people were killed at
Niger Bridge Head while three were killed at Obodoukwu Road. A suya (barbecue
meat) seller said to have been hit by a stray bullet died instantly. The
protesters were having a peaceful procession across South East states and had
vowed to continue their blockage of the bridge for three days until detained
Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu is released.
The Anambra Police Command said, yesterday, that despite
losing two of its men during the pro-Biafra protests in Onitsha, the command
never retaliated.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ali
Okechukwu, in an interview, faulted the allegation that Police fired at the
protesters, adding that one of the policemen, a sergeant, was killed at Obodo
Ukwu, while the other was killed at Eze Iweka road.
He said that following the problem in Onitsha, police kept
vigil to ensure that peace was maintained and totally denied police involvement
in the bloody riot that led to the death of about nine people.
“We did not fire a shot at anybody and even when our men
were felled, we still did not retaliate,” he said.
It was gathered that what led to yesterday’s violence was an
attempt by the JTF to reopen the blocked roads at the Bridge Head and at Upper
Iweka road in the wee hours of Wednesday.
When the security operatives tried to open the roads, it was
learned, they met resistance from the protesters, who grounded Onitsha on
Tuesday and ensured that no vehicle entered or left the commercial city.
The protesting IPOB members had blocked the Niger Bridge
early Tuesday morning, thereby grounding vehicular movements in and out of
Onitsha. From Asaba, Delta State, many boarded speed boats provided by the
Marine Police to get in and out of Onitsha.
The protest was, however, aggravated by shooting to death of
five IPOB members who were observing their peaceful procession at the Niger
Bridge Head against the continued detention of their leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu at
about 1.30 am
Pro-Biafra protesters mount road blocks and bonfires at
Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra State, yesterday. Photos: Vincent Ujumadu.
All the markets in Onitsha were shut around 12.30 pm, as
thousands of traders in the markets and environs were seen scampering for
safety as sporadic gunshots continued in many parts of the city.
The JTF, who could not disperse the protesters on Tuesday
invaded the Niger Bridge at about 1.30 am, yesterday, and opened fire on the
IPOB members who refused to leave the Niger Bridge, the gateway to the South
East, killing six people including the suya seller said to have been hit by a
stray bullet.
The killing of the protesters sparked off another protest by
IPOB members who were joined by MASSOB members. They made bonfires along
Onitsha-Owerri Road and Onitsha-Enugu Express way, forcing motorists coming in
and out of Onitsha from Enugu, Asaba and Owerri to be trapped.
A Vanguard reporter who went to Oba for an assignment was
trapped at Oba junction, where he had to pay N3,000 from Oba Junction to Tarzan
Junction, Onitsha, as over 2,000 vehicles coming into Onitsha were seen parked
at the Oba Junction and refused entrance into Onitsha.
Commercial motorcyclists banned on the express roads by the
state government made brisk business and had a field day as it was the only
means of coming into and out of Onitsha.
Speaking with newsmen, National coordinator of IPOB, Mr.
Chidiebere Onwudiwe, alleged that five of their members were killed while 18
people sustained injuries, adding that he learned that more people were killed
in the sporadic shooting by the JTF at Upper Iweka. Military should not push us
into violence
“The Joint Military Task Force could not disperse the
protesters on Tuesday, and they went to regroup and invaded our members who
were observing our three-day peaceful protest at the Niger Bridge at about 1.30
am Wednesday morning. We warned that they should not push us to be violent
because we have people that can match them violence for violence,” he said.
Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, the Ogirisi Igbo, a respected Igbo
leader, who has the loyalty of both MASSOB and IPOB youths was attacked at
about 1.35 am when he went to talk to the protesting youths at the Niger Bridge
Head, after some Igbo leaders had pleaded with him to speak with the
protesters.
Speaking in an interview at his house in Oba, Chief
Ezeonwuka said: “The dangerous game being played by the Federal Government of
Nigeria in the continued incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu will end up being an
expensive joke and dangerous mistake.
“I am calling on Igbo elite to speak with one voice for
immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu before the youths turn their peaceful protest
to violent protest. The protest started with free flow of traffic, but today it
has advanced to road block,” he said.
The Campaign for Democracy, CD, South East branch, also
condemned the killing of the protesters. Chairman of CD, South East branch,
Dede Uzor A Uzor, said: “IPOB has been peaceful in their protest and there
should not be any reason to open fire on them by security agencies. We are also
calling for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB and MASSOB
members being incarcerated in various prisons and detention centres in the
country, as they have not broken any law for protesting peacefully.”
However, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase,
has disclosed that no fewer than 137 protesters have been arrested and
currently undergoing prosecution. The police boss spoke yesterday, when he
visited the Ministry of Interior. IG reads riot act, begins prosecution of
protesters.According to him, the suspects are all members of MASSOB and IPOB.
Arase, who also described Nigerians as lawless, said in as
much as government respects the right of citizens to free expression, MASSOB
and IPOB activists must stop threatening public peace or face the full wrath of
the law.
His words: “What I can assure you is that we will not allow
any group to disturb the peace of this country. We will clamp down on them, we
will deal with them, we will prosecute them. Already, we have about 137 of them
who are undergoing prosecution across the length and breadth of the South East
and we will continue to do that.
“The latest manifestation in the Onitsha protect is of the
threat in attempt to block the Onitsha end of Niger Bridge on December 1, 2015,
an action that caused major hardship to innocent and law abiding motorists and
citizens. The act also occasioned serious dislocation of business activities.”
Arase issued a stern warning to MASSOB and IPOB activists to
stop threatening public peace or face the full weight of the law.
To maintain law and order, the IG in a statement by Acting
ACP Olabisi Kolawole, directed Assistant Inspectors–General of Police Zone 5,
(Benin); Zone 6, (Calabar) and Zone 9 (Umuahia) and all Commissioners of Police
in the affected states in the South East and neigbouring states “to henceforth
maximally exercise their statutory mandate in relation to prevention and
disruption of any gathering that threatens public order and national cohesion.
Any person or group of persons so arrested in furtherance to the enforcement of
this order will be made to face the full wrath of the law”.
The IGP advised parents and guardians to call their children
and wards to order as the patience of the Force was being stretched to the
limit, adding that “no individual or group interest can override the interest
of the nation and that democratic values provide for exploration of rule of law
to advance any concern, not the resort to endless and misguided acts of
brigandage, unless there is an ulterior motive as the extant instance tends to
dictate.”
Disturbed by the growing protests, representatives of
Northern States Council of Traditional Rulers and their South East counterparts
met in Owerri, yesterday, to deliberate on the issue.
The visiting royal fathers from the North were led by the
Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar.
Other traditional rulers that made the trip included the
Coordinating Committee Chairman of Northern States Council of Traditional
Rulers and the Emir of Gumi, Justice Lawal Aliyu Gumi; the Emir of Lafia,
Alhaji Mustapha Agwai, who is the Chairman of Nasarawa State Council of
Traditional Rulers; Emir of Fika, Alhaji Abali Mohammadu, Chairman of Yobe
State Council of Traditional Rulers, and Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Buba Gyang,
Chairman of Plateau State Council of Traditional Rulers.
The South-East Traditional Rulers were led to the meeting by
the Chairman of the Council, Eze Ebere Dick, who is also the Chairman of the
Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred
Achebe, Chairman of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers; Eze Agunwa
Ohiri, Chairman Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Eze Dr. Agom Eze,
Chairman, Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers.
Speaking when the group paid a courtesy call on Governor
Rochas Okorocha at the Government House, Owerri, the Etsu Nupe and leader of
the delegation, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, explained that they were in the state
to meet with the South East Traditional Council, at the instance of His
Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, who is Chairman of the
Northern Council of Traditional Rulers.
“We are principally in Imo to discuss the issue of the
current and escalating agitation by Pro-Biafra groups in the South-East
geo-political zone and to find the reasons for this renewed agitations and how
the situation can be arrested”, Alhaji Abubakar said.
He also disclosed that they are in Imo to find out the truth
about the rumour that there was crises in the leadership of the South East
Council of Traditional Rulers.
While saying that they would go back home to relate their
findings to their colleagues, the royal fathers also remarked that protection
of the nation’s unity was paramount.
Speaking also, Chairman of the South East Traditional
Council, Eze Ebere Dick, promised that they would work together with the South
East governors to amicably resolve the MASSOB and IPOB issues.
Responding, Governor Okorocha commended the royal fathers
for the meeting, which he described as timely and advised them too to “make
such meetings regular in the interest of the nation. There is need for
traditional rulers across the nation to be meeting regularly, to help in
curbing religious and ethnic crises, mostly caused or sponsored by politicians
for political gains. It is also important that our traditional rulers should
resist the temptation of entering into the murky waters of Nigerian politics.”
On the pro-Biafra protests and agitations, Governor Okorocha
informed that the South-East governors and stakeholders in the region had set
up a committee to look into the issue and proffer quick solution.
The governor also appealed to the Northern traditional
rulers to, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of the activities of Fulani
herdsmen within the South-East because their activities constitute great danger
to lives and properties of the people of the area.
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, last night, in a
broadcast appealed to the protesters to maintain peace and resist attempt by
hoodlums to take advantage of the situation to destabilize the state.
The governor’s address read: “My beloved people of Anambra
State, I wish to address you on the on-going protest staged in Onitsha by the
members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and MASSOB.
“The government of Anambra State has been monitoring
developments and is greatly concerned about the security of lives and property
of residents and visitors to the state. As your Governor and Chief Security
Officer of the state, I am compelled to act to avert any likely breakdown of
law and order. In all situations, the preservation of human life comes first
and I am determined to enforce that.
“Since the inception of my administration, we have made the
security of lives and property our priority and we are not going to compromise
on that. I, therefore, sincerely appeal to members of the IPOB, MASSOB and
other aggrieved groups and individuals to maintain the peace and resist any
attempt by hoodlums to take advantage of the situation and destabilize any part
of Anambra State.
“I am in constant touch with all the security agencies in
the state to ensure that what has otherwise been a peaceful protest is not
hijacked by trouble makers. All mischief makers are hereby warned to keep off
as we will not tolerate any breach of peace under any guise or pretext. You are
seriously warned! I therefore wish to assure Ndi Anambra and all visitors to
the state to go about their normal businesses peacefully as the security agencies
are on top of the situation to preserve law and order.”
Meanwhile, the agitating groups have disassociated
themselves from acts of arson and violence that culminated in the razing down
of Onitsha Central Mosque and burning of some vehicles. We didn’t set Onitsha
Central Mosque ablaze – IPOB, MASSOB
MASSOB Acting Leader, Uchenna Madu, in a statement said:
“The setting of Ontisha Central Mosque and vehicles ablaze and making of
bonfires, which depict violence are not done by the members of IPOB or MASSOB
under my leadership.
“This unwarranted acts of violence are perfected by hoodlums
sponsored by agents of the Federal Government to create impression that
non-violence and peaceful pro-Biafra groups have turned violent in our
agitation for Biafra. Our oppressors are no longer comfortable. There is no
evidence of terrorism in our protest. How can we resort to violence now that
we’re told that the presidency is about negotiating with leaders of pro-Biafra
group?
“With today’s killing of our members and injuring many with
bullet shots,we are no longer comfortable with the presidency’s move for
dialogue. Federal Government’s move for dialogue is hypocritical and deceitful.
Any Igbo group, organization and persons negotiating, meeting or dialoguing
with the presidency on our behalf without our consent or mandate should stop
now.
“MASSOB led by Uchenna Madu and IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu have
never mandated any person to negotiate for us. Even in this persecution,
arrest, killings, clampdown, suppression against us by Nigeria Government, we
shall continue and intensify our non-violence agitation for Biafra. For Nigeria
to release their Armed Forces against non-violent, defenceless Biafra agitators
shows their wickedness and the devilish mind of President Muhammad Buhari
against our people.”
Following the recent development, Igbo living in Niger State
have urged the Federal Government not to use force on the agitators for Biafra
but rather should dialogue with them in order not to further compound the
insecurity that has already enveloped many parts of the country.
While suggeting dialogue as a means of settling the crisis
which is daily building up across the country, the Niger State Chapter of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it is not in any way in support of any move that could
lead to war in the country.
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