PICTURES:DEATHS AT PRO BIAFRA MASS PROTEST IN ONITSHA

The agitations by pro-Biafra groups turned violent yesterday in Onitsha, the commercial centre of Anambra State, as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) took to the streets. No fewer than 13 protesters were killed while 20 others sustained injuries during the protest. A religious centre was torched while nine trucks belonging to a conglomerate were burnt. Several vehicles were vandalised by the rampaging protesters.
It was learnt that the killing of four IPOB members sparked the violent protest. The four people were allegedly killed by soldiers at 1:30a.m. yesterday at the Niger Bridge end of Onitsha, where they had used as rallying point during the Tuesday’ protest.
A lady was also said to have been shot dead by some security agents on patrol at the busy Onitsha/ Owerri road. The pro-Biafra agitators became violent when the news of the killing of four IPOB members became public.
An eyewitness said the protesters resorted to violence, vandalising vehicles and other valuables as they protested the killing along the major roads in Onitsha making bonfires. Bonfires were made at Old and New Market Roads, Ogbommanu Junction, Savoy, Nkpor Junction, Afor-Nkpor, Bridge Head, Oguta Road among others.
The protests forced banks, markets and business centres to be shut. Some miscreants took advantage of the situation to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens. The protesters also called for the release of Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Namdi Kanu.

Speaking on the protest, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, said the protest became bloody after military officers killed four members of the group. Powerful said: “The soldiers killed four of our men at the Bridge Head Market about 1:30a.m. on Wednesday without committing any offence. “The soldiers came with the police, civil defence, Department of State Services (DSS) and attacked our men because we are non-violent body.
“We will continue the protest in Onitsha tomorrow (today) unless the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is released by President Muhammadu Buhari who does not want anything good from the Igbo people.” The protest, according to the National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Chidiebere Onwudiwe, will hold today in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Enugu and Ebonyi states.

The grand protest will take place on Friday in Abuja. Security agents had since taken over Onitsha. The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has dissociated itself from the Onitsha protest. Acting leader of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, in a statement said: “The setting ablaze of a religious centre, vehicles and making of burning fires, which depict violence were not done by members of IPOB or MASSOB under my leadership.
“These unwarranted acts of violence are perfected by hoodlums sponsored by agents of Federal Government to create impression that we are violent, hence they sponsored violence against us.” Madu added that: “We have been on this peaceful demonstration and protest for over a month without any act of violence. How can we now resort to violence now that we are told that the presidency is about negotiating with leaders of pro-Biafra groups?”