photo of protesters in delta
One person was reportedly killed in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Friday during a protest march by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra over the continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra was arrested last month.
The protest was largely peaceful until around 2.30 pm when fracas erupted, resulting in the alleged shooting of one the pro-Biafran demonstrators by the police.
The protesters had paralysed commercial activities in Onitsha and its environs on Friday as vehicular movements were disrupted along the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway.
The Onitsha-Owerri Road, Uga Atani Ogaru Local Government Road, Onitsha Aguleri, Nsugbe, Nkwelle Ezunaka Roads, Old and New Market roads through Nkpor, Ogidi and Obosi roads were all blocked during the demonstration.
Markets in Onitsha were closed from 7am to about 2.30pm.
Though, Anambra State Government had announced through the market leaders that markets should remain open, the protesters made commercial activities impossible
The IPOB members gathered beside the Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu statue by Niger Bridge Head, chanting and dancing Pro-Ojukwu and Biafran songs, from where they marched down to Upper Iweka Flyover.
They demanded the release of the Radio Biafra director, who has been detained by security agents for three weeks.
When contacted on the telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ali Okechukwu, denied that police shot any protester.
He said “We did not go close to them. We allowed them to go their way because the protest was peaceful. They can attest to that, themselves.
“I’m not aware that somebody died in the protest.”
But a police source who spoke under condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the pro- Kanu agitators had a confrontation with local vigilantes in the area which resulted in the death of one of the protesters.
Meanwhile, in Asaba, Delta State, a similar protest by pro-Biafra campaigners led to a mass arrest.
An attempt by members of the secessionist movement to stamp its authority on the Delta State capital of Asaba and neighbouring towns failed as the police forced them to disperse.
The police also arrested a number of the protesters,who allegedly tried to prevent members of the public from freely going about their daily activities.
Acting spokesperson the Delta State Police Command, Mr Charles Muka, a deputy superintendent of police, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Friday that he could not confirm the number of persons arrested by the police during the clampdown on the Biafra campaigners.
“Well, it is true that we successfully repelled the attempt by pockets of the group to cause a breach of the public peace, but I cannot tell you how many people were arrested because we are still on it,”Muka said.
He advised members of the public to go about their normal lawful business without any fear of molestation.
It was learnt that the coordinators of the group had gone round many parts of Asaba on Wednesday telling residents to stay away from the Ogbogonogo Modern Market in Asaba metropolis to express solidarity with the cause of the indigenous Biafra organisation.
Some residents on Anwai Road and Nnebisi Road in Asaba told our correspondent the group also warned the people to keep their children and wards from going to school on Friday as a mark of solidarity.
Although, government and security announcements later advised residents to disregard the threats by the pro-Biafra group and reassured the people of their safety, many people stayed away from the huge and usually busy Ogbogonogo Market out of fear of possible attack by the protesters.
However, as early as 7.30am the police clashed with members of the group as the latter reportedly attempted to block the Benin-Asaba expressway around the ever-busy Summit Junction, Asaba.
Eyewitness accounts said that the police fired several times into the air to scare off the pro-Biafra protesters.
However, smoke from numerous teargas canisters fired by the police soon enveloped the whole area forcing them to flee.
Nonetheless, it was learnt that it took a detachment of mobile policemen to disperse members of the same Biafra group who had barricaded the strategic Benin-Agbor-Asaba-Onitsha expressway at Umunedelater that morning.
Several persons were also reportedly arrested by the riot or mobile policemen at Umenede and Agbor area on the road.
