Enugu — The Enugu State Police Command yesterday arrested the leader of the Biafra Zionist Movement, Benjamin Onwuka and 500 members for declaring the independence of Biafra.
They were arrested near the Central Police Station along the Coal Camp - Old Park road during a peaceful procession that preceded what they called formal re-declaration of the independence of the republic of Biafra.
The group is a faction of the Ralph Uwazuruike-led Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB. The two pro-Biafra oragnisations have been having a strained relationship since the formation of the new group.
The leader of the group, Onwuka, who proclaimed himself the president of Biafran republic, said the ministers that would pilot the affairs of his government would be announced in due course.
During a rally held at a football field in Mbanugo area of Coal Camp, Enugu, members of the group wore vests bearing Biafra inscription and carried different flags including those of the defunct Biafra republic, United States and Israel as they sang pro-Biafra songs.
After the rally that lasted for about an hour, Onwuka and his members, mostly elderly men in their 60's, embarked on a peaceful procession to Ogbete Main Market area acknowledging cheers from residents and motorists along the road.
Onwuka said the life and property of the Biafran people were no longer safe and guaranteed in Nigeria, hence their resolve to re-declare their independence with effect from November 5, 2012.
"In order to guarantee the Biafran people's right to freely worship their God without being bombed or killed according to the United Nations Convention on the Freedom of Association, today, the re-birth of the republic of Biafra is finally actualized at the long last. I thank all Biafrans for the sacrifices that they have made since this struggle began in 1967. We are today a free nation endowed with all God-given right to re-claim our lost sovereignty stolen from us in 1914," he said.
Members of the group were said to have been stopped by policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer, Ikechukwu Mba. One of them said their leader and 385 of them were conveyed to the police command; while 115 others were arrested and were being held at the State CID.
The spokesman of the police command, Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the arrest, listed the items recovered as including 61 Biafran flags and those of other countries, 13 berets, and three bands.
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First, I would like to correct my grammar that Nigerians should start to really live by God's word, not living by God's word. And to orosunukunnaija, I don't know if you are paying careful attention to the news? This has nothing to do with North vs. South or any other ethnic group or religion. They have all been convenient diversions. Those in the North have become targets of these people as well. This certainly has to do with addicts within the political system who want power at any cost. Remember the term 'do or die affair.' This has expanded to religious rioting, terrorism, and militancy movements. If there is any danger to your kinsmen or mine, it is not coming from the Hausa as a collection, although there are some who are gullible and evil enough to launch terror attacks and blame Southerners for their problems. This divide and conquer politics is what is threatening everyone.
Nigeria free Biafra, UN free Biafra, The World free Biafra from NIGERIANS HAND.
I am not a fan of new clamour for Biafra as an Igboman, any attempt to arrest or mistreat those clamouring for it will tantamount to brutal indiscriminate and selective action by Jonathan (Nnamdi so called ) for political convinence regime. The village community , not even from broad segment of Riverine population that have declared their independence several times without challange from this government are predomiantly from President's own community .These men and women maybe from Jonathans hometown have been so loud and vocal to declare unilateral independent from the Nation of Nigeria with no iota of reaction or response reaction or response from President of Nigeria or his agents, Why is it wrong this time to ask for same thing by a people who orndinarliy have moral reason to do so even if it did not invoke collective apetite of people most marginalized in the wrong and repulsive conflict.
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Though I am not an Igbo man, I strongly encourage the Igbos not to relent in their clamour for an independent Biafra. There is nothing like one Nigeria anymore. I also hope my Yoruba elders will wake up and do the right thing for the sake of their childern. Because, it is clear that Nigeria is only meant for the killing northerners.
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