Youths agitating for the actualization of Republic of Biafra who took to the streets on Friday have warned that no amount of threat would stop them from going ahead with peaceful protests to drum home their Agitation for the Republic of Biafra and the freeing of Nnamdi Kanu.
Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase has advised organizers of the planned violent match to desist from such.
The IGP warned that failure of the group to heed his advice will be met with all lawful action by the police to ensure peace and security in any part of the country insisting that the law on ban on unlawful possession of illegal fire-arms is still in place.
Making the disclosure through the Force Public Relations Officer, Acting ACP Olabisi Kolawole, Arase said, “Information available to the Nigeria Police indicates plans by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to embark on ill-advised protest using dangerous weapon across some South Eastern States.
“The Nigeria Police Force reminds the brains behind this security threat that the law prohibiting the unlawful possession of firearms is still in-force.
Meanwhile, one person was shot dead while commercial and other activities were Friday grounded in Onitsha the commercial city of Anambra state and its environs by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB who were protesting the continued detention of their leader Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
Vehicular movements were also disrupted along the Onitsha Enugu Expressway, Onitsha Owerri Road, Uga Atani Ogaru Local Government Road, Onitsha Aguleri, Nsugbe, Nkwelle Ezunaka Roads, Old and New Market Roads, Nkpor, Ogidi, Obosi Roads, thereby causing traffic gridlocks on all the roads within and outside Onitsha.
Markets in Onitsha and its environs were all shot between 7am to about 2.30pm when some traders were seen loitering around their markets to see if they will be allowed to open, while some decided to go home for the day as they were also afraid that they may be attacked.
Although the Anambra State Government had announced through the market leaders who also exchanged text messages to ensure that their markets were open but the traders seemed to be unwilling to go to their markets as most of them who normally leave in the morning for their markets were sighted on their streets discussing the protest which IPOB declared earlier in the week they will embark on.
Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja Central Market Onitsha, New Tire Market Nkpor, New Auto Spare Parts Market Nkpor, Building Materials Market Ogidi, Ugwuagba Market Obosi, Electronics Market Onitsha, Bridge Head Market Onitsha that has over 21 markets attached to it and other small markets in and outside Onitsha, were all shut down.
Even shop along the streets of Onitsha, and its environs, including Awka Road, New Market Road, Old Market Road, Oguta Road, Limca Road, Iweka Road and Modebe Road, DSokoto Road and Haruna Street lock up shops were also seen under lock and keys.
The IPOB members numbering over 30,000 were earlier seen gathered at Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu Statue by Niger Bridge Head, also known as Odumegwu Ojukwu Gateway, Niger Bridge Head Onitsha chanting and dancing Pro Ojukwu and Biafran songs, from where they marched peacefully to down to Upper Iweka Flyover.
They were seen marching from Upper Iweka Flyover to Onitsha Owerri Road, to Nkpor Junction, Ochanja Central Market, Onitsha Main Market, Old and New Market Roads Onitsha, chanting anti Federal Government, Police, Army and Navy songs, demanding the release of Mr. Kanu, whom they said is being incarcerated for over three weeks now, and the continued arrest and detention of their members and actualization of Biafra activists.
There was unusual presence of the police on the major roads and streets of Onitsha, but their presence did not deter the protesting IPOB members who were also cautious of the behavior of their members to the road users and petty traders who wanted to cash in on the closure of markets and big stores and shops to do brisk business.
IPOB members who wanted to be unruly on the road users were promptly shouted on and cautioned by their leaders to behave well, that molestation and dispossessing people of their property and goods, looting of people’s shops and property was not part of their agenda.
This was as Founder of the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) and Deputy Secretary of the Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT), Evangelist Elliot Uko, in this interview, spoke on why re-living Biafra Republic is attractive to Igbo youths and the need to urgently restructure the country into true fiscal federalism among others.
What is your comment on former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent statement that the people agitating for Biafra are criminals, miscreants and scammers?
For Obasanjo to say that is tragic. I don’t know whether he’s deliberately being mischievous because he should know that the agitation for Biafra is a potential threat, a big time-bomb, not just for the territorial integrity of Nigeria but also for peace in the entire West Africa. Any crisis in Nigeria will reverberate all over the West African sub-region. The refugee problem alone will cripple the economies of all the West African nations. No amount of peace-keeping forces from the United Nations will keep peace in Nigeria because of it’s size and population. That is why it must be avoided at all cost. Condensed from Vanguard.