Major cities in the South-East and South-South were on Tuesday shut down following protests that trailed the arrest of the Director of the outlaw Radio Biafra.
DAILY POST recalls that the Director of Pirate radio was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday.
Kanu, who also heads Biafra Television and leads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested in Lagos upon arrival to Nigeria from his UK base for a brief visit.
He, was, however, granted bail on Monday.
Reacting to his arrest, IPOB’s lawyer, Egechukwu Obetta lamented that Kanu was put in the same cell with terrorists without the DSS considering his life-threatening health challenges.
Obetta disclosed that Kanu, who is selective of foods, had vowed never to eat any meal served by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The lawyer said Kanu was granted bail in the sum of N2 million or surety of N2 million with a civil servant of grade level 16.
| Cross section of youths protesting the arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kalu. |
Wondering why his client was arrested, Obetta recalled that, “Last week, the Afenifere threatened to secede but nobody was vilified. I am talking about the recent Olu Falae’s kidnap case.
Meanwhile, the group had earlier written an open letter to world leaders over the arrest of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
A letter by Ifeanyi Chijioke on behalf of the group, said the arrest of Kanu had shown that freedom of speech in Nigeria was a ruse.
The group also threatened to fight the Nigerian government if Kanu was not freed.
“The world leaders must stand up to its integrity, pride, and in defense of the law they made,” the group said, adding that “the UN chatter on the rights of indigenous people had become endangered with the arrest of this leader of indigenous people of Biafra.”
“It’s on record that Nnamdi kanu is a law abiding leader who has disciplined indigenous people of Biafra to strictly abide by local and international law. The gut for his arrest is nothing but slap on the face of United Nations.
“Meanwhile, this is a gross provocation of indigenous people of Biafra and, as endangered people, would only wait shortly for due process and immediate release of her leader.
“The world should know that arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the making of monster in indigenous people of Biafra and to prevent and save lives, world leaders must stand up to their responsibility.
“Biafrans, as endangered species of terror, genocide, murder and unlawful detentions, must be sorted or laws will be taken into their hands.
“Biafrans call on world leaders to prevail on Buhari to with immediate effect release the leader of the people as he is charged with no crime”, he added.
Enugu boils
Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command, on Tuesday fired canisters on pro-Biafra protesters at the Government House in Enugu, the state capital. Several persons, including three women were injured in the process.
They were protesting the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Biafra radio.
The protesters numbering over 30 had converged opposite the main entrance to the Government House with placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘free Nnamdi Kanu, Nnamdi Kanu is a freedom fighter, we need justice’, before the police launched attack on them.
According to a source, “The women converged here with their placards as early as 10:30 am and they comported themselves peacefully.
“Suddenly, heavily armed police men led by the Divisional Police Officer, New Haven, Enugu, CSP Okey Ambrose arrived the scene.”
The witness said that the police officers initially pounced on the men who had accompanied the women for the protest during which 19 of them were arrested.
“The arrest made the women resolute and at this point the police fired tear gas directly at them during which the canisters hit some of them, causing heavy bodily injury.
“The Commissioner of Police Mr Adamu Mohammed later arrived the scene”, he added.
The leader of the group, Mrs Onyekachi Ubenyi said that they were protesting the arrest of one Mr Nnamdi Kanu by the Department of State Security Services (DSS).
Ubenyi, who expressed shock at the level of police brutality on them, said that their protest was very peaceful.
“We are the women wing of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and what we want is justice. We are not violent,” she said.
She continued that some of the women including one Mrs Chinyere Ojikeme were hit on her face by tear gas canisters shot by the police.
She said that another girl identified as Njideka Ibe was arrested along with 19 men and taken to an unknown destination by the police.
“Ojikeme was heavily injured on her nose with blood gushing out due to the shot she received and we have rushed her to the hospital,” Ubenyi said.
Meanwhile, the Enugu chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the police brutality of the protesting women.
The Chairman, Dr. Osita Ogbu said that it was uncivilized for the police to have shot canisters directly on a group of unarmed people carrying out a peaceful protest.
Ogbu said that the women had the right guaranteed by law to carry out a peaceful protest without attracting such brutality from security officers.
“This is unacceptable in a civilised society as the right to freedom of assembly has been guaranteed under the Constitution.
“What the police did was a violation of their fundamental human rights,” he said.
Ogbu advised the police to be more civil in their relationship with members of the public.
Delta shut down by protesters
Following the arrest and detention of the Director, a group of women on Tuesday, stormed the entrance of Delta State Government House, Asaba condemning the arrest.
The protesters, mainly women, gathered under the aegis of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Delta State chapter and demanded the immediate release of Kanu, describing his arrest as uncalled for and totally unacceptable.
While protesting, DAILY POST reports that the women chanted songs of grievances and displayed placards which bore various inscriptions such as “Freedom for Biafra, free Nnamdi Kanu”, “We are not terrorists, we are freedom fighters”, “We are tired of intimidation and harassment by the Nigerian Government”, “Biafra on the move.”
The Secretary of IPOB, Delta State chapter, Nnenna Nwaoha, speaking during the protest, said, “The reason for the protest is for Nnamdi Kanu to be released; we have suffered enough in the hands of the Nigerian Government and we are no more comfortable with it.
“We want our freedom, that is why we are here. We are not comfortable with the Nigerian government, the intimidation, killing and all that; that is why we want our freedom. We feel very bad about his detention and it is affecting each and every one of us. We are not comfortable, we want to go.
“The federal government should release our Director, Dr. Nnamdi Kanu and we also want our freedom. As a nation that is due for freedom, we want to go; we are tired; the suffering is too much; it is not a crime to want our freedom; we want to go.”
Also speaking, one Mrs. Chinenye Udeoba expressed bitterness at the detention of Kanu, saying “we are bitter and we are giving them a strict warning and order to release him.
Business activities in Port Harcourt disrupted.
There was also rising tensions on the streets of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, as a group of people claiming to be sympathetic to the liberation of Biafra staged a protest march around the city.
DAILY POST reports that the demonstration by the pro-Biafra agitators took off from the ever-busy Ikoku Market, through Aba Road, down to Mile One, before heading towards Rumuokoro on Ikwerre Road.
The protesters also carried placards laden with inciting inscriptions like, “it is either Biafra or death.”
Security agencies also responded to the demonstration, with the deployment of personnel and equipment along the route of the protesters.
Armoured Personnel Carriers have also been mobilized to strategic locations across Port Harcourt to forestall a breakdown of law and order in the city.
Reports say Kanu has already been granted bail but the pro-Biafran protesters said they want a country of their own.
The pro-Biafran protest was peaceful, except for Ikoku roundabout where passersby were forced to raise their hands by security operatives.
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