Pro-Biafra protest turns bloody in Aba as Ten people were killed and another 20 were injured

A protest staged by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the prolonged detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, turned bloody on Tuesday, February 9, in Aba, Abia state.

The Nation reports that 10 people were killed and another 20 were injured as a result of the clash between the protesters and security agencies.

According to unconfirmed reports, over 30 IPOB members are receiving treatment in various hospitals in Aba, while another 20 have been arrested by the police.

An IPOB official who pleaded for anonymity said that the protesters gathered at Ibo National High School for prayers.

“In the morning, we gathered at Ibo National High School for prayers and address by the Aba coordinator

“While the prayers were on, we noticed police patrol vans and because we locked the gate, they could not enter. They attempted to scale the fence, but could not. Shortly after, soldiers came in Hilux vans and scaled the fence.

“When they entered, they asked for our coordinator but we resisted them. The next thing we heard was gunshot. I can’t say how many died because there was a stampede as people tried to escape,” he said.

He revealed that the security agents arrested the group’s coordinator in Aba identified as Ikechukwu and some of his assistants.

He further stressed that no amount of killings or intimidation would discourage the IPOB from pursuing its cause. He added that the protest would continue on Friday, February 12.

When contacted, Ezekiel Onyeke, the spokesman of the Abia state police command, said that he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

Meanwhile, a source at the 144 Battalion at Ukwa West denied the allegation that soldiers shot members of the IPOB. He revealed the arrested protesters had been handed over to the police for further investigation.

Vanguard reports that on the same day Enugu police arrested 25 members of IPOB, who had gathered at the Naira Triangle in preparation for a protest march tagged “Mother of All Protest Marches”.

The march was nipped in the bud by security agents who stormed the venue where the protesters were trooping in numbers.

As a result of the physical show of strength between IPOB and security agents, many protesters sustained injuries. Many took to their heels when the police released shots of tear gas into the crowd.

Emma Powerful, the media and publicity officer of IPOB, blasted the security agents for their attitude towards protesters. She stressed that IPOB is not a violent group and its members were gathering for a peaceful march.

Meanwhile, civil society organizations in Abia state under the auspices of the Abia Human Rights Agenda condemned “the killing of defenceless protesters”.

The group called on the chief of army staff, Major General Tukur Buratai, and the inspector general of police, Solomon Arase, to launch investigations into the events and prosecute those found culpable.

Speaking with journalists in Aba, the group lamented that over 15 people lost their lives in pro-Biafra protests in the city and described the situation as unacceptable.

“Over 10 people lost their lives during the protest against the detention of the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Several others sustained various degrees of injuries as security agents clashed with protesters. Security agents must restrict themselves to the rules of their engagements in crisis situation,” the group said.

Categories: Biafra Nnadi Kanu

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Drama As Nnamdi Kanu Arrives Court, Refuses To Remove Handcuff And Come Down From Van

Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, and operator of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu on Tuesday morning arrived the Federal High Court Abuja for the commencement of his trial, but refused to come down from the prison van. 

This led the prison officials to call his lawyer, Chuks Mouma, who after much persuasion was able to get Kanu to came down from the vehicle. He however refused to take off the handcuffs on him even while being led to the courtroom. 

The Department of State Services, DSS, had arraigned the embattled Director of Radio Biafra before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the same court on a six-count charge of treasonable felony but the matter could not be continued following Kanu’s vote of no confidence on Mohammed. Following Kanu’s vote of no confidence on the judge, the matter was brought before Justice John Tsoho.

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Biafra: Court refuse to grant release of Nnamdi Kanu’s international passports

The trial of the embattled Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu commenced on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja with his counsel, Chuks Mouma filing an application seeking the court to order the prosecution to release all items not needed in the prosecution of the case.

Mouma in his application urged the court to order the prosecution to release some of the defendants items being held as evidence if they are not relevant to the case.

He listed the items as, $2,200, N87,000 and the defendant’s international passport.

“Bail has been denied the defendants and they are in security prison and as such they can not escape or run away.”

Mouma also urged the court to dismiss the application by the prosecution seeking protection of the witnesses due to the nature of the case and that the defendants be trial secretly.

He said, “The defendants are not facing terrorism charges so the question of facing secret trial” should be discountenance by the court.

In his response, the prosecuting counsel, Mohammed S. Diri, who is the Director of Public Prosecution, opposed the application for the release of some exhibit to be tendered in the course of the the trial because all the items being held by the prosecution are relevant to case.

Diri argued that due process was not followed in filing the application as the defence counsel ought to have directed the application to the Attorney General of the Federation who has the power to release those exhibits and not the court.

On the issue of the passport, Diri said, “The fact that Kanu is before this court today indicated that he sneaked into the country without using both his British and International passport.”

He added that the passports and other items are relevant to the prosecution hence prayed the court to “dismiss and discountenance the application seeking for the release of evidence.”

Justice John Tsoho, in his ruling, dismissed the application for the release of items held as exhibit, stressing that the application lacks merit.

Tsoho thereafter adjourned the matter till February 19.

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Categories: Biafra

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Nnamdi Kanu: Ex-Militants Threaten To Blow Up Hijacked Ship With Foreign Crew

A group of ex Niger Delta Militants has hijackrd a ship off the Bakassi Peninsula coast line and threatened to blow it up with its foreign crew if detained Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu is not released

The group, which said it was in support of the agitation for the creation of a Biafran state, gave the Federal Government a 31-day ultimatum to release Kanu or it would be forced to carry through its threat.crew if detained Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu is not released.

Also, the group, in a Saturday statement in Port Harcourt through its spokesman who identified himself as General Ben, said it might not wait for the expiration of the 31-day ultimatum to carry out its threat.

He said: “We cannot wait till the end of the 31 days to tell the Federal Government that we are serious. The vessel and the crew are under custody.

“And any noise, any delay from government, we will blow up everything. We will blow the vessel and everybody in the vessel will go down. “We are not interested in the country that owns the vessel. What we know is that the vessel was coming to Nigeria to lift oil. We are not interested;; once it is blown up, let the country and Nigeria resolve the matter.

“We are in touch with everything happening around the IPOB leader.

“Now, court has denied him bail, saying because of his dual citizenship, he might jump bail. We also heard that the judge said he would rather give the matter an accelerated hearing.

“This is provocative; hence we did not waste time to go into action. We are in support of the Biafra struggle.

“We will not retreat or surrender. The federal government might have taken our ultimatum as an empty threat. But, we will surprise them,” the statement read.

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Court denies Nnamdi Kanu bail

A Federal High Court in Abuja has turned down a bail request by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

The court said on Friday that Mr. Kanu must remain in prison pending his trial for alleged treason.

Mr. Kanu has been in detention since his arrest in October.

The government accuses him of running an underground radio that spreads hate messages in a push for the creation of independent state of Biafra. He had earlier been granted bail twice by the courts, but the government refused to release him.

  The Federal government recently filed fresh six-count charges against the embattled leader      of Indigenous People of Biafra.

  The government is blaming Kanu for plotting to divide Nigeria, by creating a Biafra Republic with south-east, south-south states, and parts of Kogi and Benue states, as component units

Categories: Biafra

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