Again Biafra Protesters Shut Down Onitsha, Barricade Niger Bridge

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Onitsha

Over 50,000 members and supporters of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Tuesday,shut down the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra state, southeast Nigeria for the second time, in less than one month.

The protesters, who barricaded the ever busy Onitsha Head bridge, paralysed socio and economic activities in the commercial city.

They are protesting, the continued detention of promoter and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu by operatives of the Department of State Security Service DSS

Vehicular movements along the upper Iweka road through the Niger Bridge head was completed grounded by the intimidating number of the IPOB members and their sympathizers who vowed not to vacate the roads until their leader is released.

Attempt by the security operatives to disperse them failed because of their number and their resort to non violence.

The Onitsha-Owerri Expressway was not free from the disruption of vehicular movements by the protesting IPOB members who also marched around the area, thereby making movement in and out of Onitsha difficult for all the travellers and residents.

The crowd was so intimidating that some markets along the roads were shut-down, even as traders were seen hanging around to attend sharply to their customers that were equally trapped as a result of the protest.

According to some of the traders, they closed shops in solidarity of the IPOB members, even as others said they closed shops for fear of the unknown.

One of the leaders of IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful who spoke to newsmen said “We decided to avoid coming close to markets, especially Onitsha Main Market, because of the false allegation by some leaders of the traders who have been paid to destroy our image, with allegations of looting and destroying the trader’s goods.

“We are not protesting against our brothers and sisters who are doing their genuine businesses So, there is no reason to attack anybody, or invade their shops.

“Also, we are neither begging anybody to come and join in the protest. People whose lives and businesses have been destroyed by government policies joined us without invitation, while others joined in solidarity as Igbos.

“‘The allegation of infiltration into our fold is also false, baseless and figment of the imagination of those making it.

“We are only protesting to secure the release of our leader,” he stated.

National Coordinator of IPOB, Mr Chidiebere Onwudiwe, in his reaction, said that the protest was a result of the detention of Mr Kanu and continued marginalization of South East.

He added that the protest will continue tomorrow being. Wednesday