Pro-Biafra protest: Cash looted, vehicles worth N50m destroyed in Onitsha factory

…NSCIA warns Muslims against retaliation
Over N50 million worth of valuables were allegedly
destroyed by the pro-Biafra protesters at Onitsha,
Anambra State.
The protesters, who stormed Best Aluminum
Manufacturing Company limited at Anyika Street, Ozala
Layout Awada, Onitsha, with various weapons during the
protest allegedly carted away N12million cash, burnt two
vehicles, destroyed six others, smashed building glasses,
looted computers and generating sets.
Best Aluminum Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Pius
Nweke  said the hoodlums, numbering about 200, stormed
the factory with intent of collecting arms from policemen
on guard. When that failed, he said they stole and
destroyed.
He said the protest by pro-Biafra agitators was hijacked by
miscreants, adding that immediately “they forced
themselves into the factory, they went straight to a new
car parked within the premises, poured fuel and burnt it
and also went ahead and burnt another bus, destroying six
other vehicles.
Nweke alleged that the hoodlums also went to the
cashier’s office and collected N12 million and also, made
away with sets of computers and generating set as well as
destroying glasses of the building, saying they equally
injured two staff.
Meanwhile, normalcy has returned in Onitsha,  following
Wednesday’s orgy of violence. Security operatives were
seen in every part of the city patrolling to ensure that law
and order were maintained.
Police Area Commander in charge of Onitsha, Mr. Philip
Ezekie, an Assistant Commissioner of Police told Daily
Sun that the city was calm and that the Hausa community
who ran for cover to various police stations to avoid
attacks were safe.
He noted that some of them in Fegge were evacuated to
Asaba for safety.
The pro-Biafra protesters on Wednesday took to streets to
demand the release  of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu director of Radio
Biafra.
In a related development, the  Nigerian Supreme Council
for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of the
President-General, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad
Sa’ad Abubakar, yesterday urged Muslims in the country
to resist the temptation of retaliating Wednesday’s
attacks on Muslims and the central mosque of Onitsha in
Anambra State.
The position of the religious body on the Onitsha mayhem
was made known at a press conference addressed by its
Secretary- General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede in Ilorin, Kwara
State yesterday.
The NSCIA’s scribe urged Muslims to consider the
perpetrators as criminals and not representatives of any
ethnic or religious group.
“The NSCIA is fully aware of the development and is
working round the clock to put the situation under control.
Muslims are warned against the antics of those who seek
to whip up religious sentiments to further their clandestine
political motives. “Vengeance is for Allah and Muslims
should exercise maximum restraint in these trying times.
“We call on Muslim brothers and sisters not to embark on
reprisal attacks on Christians and their places of worship
in any part of Nigeria. We are already engaged in
discussions with various security and relevant government
agencies to forestall further aggravation of the situation.”
….Conflicting figures trail death toll
By Funmilayo Harrison
Hours after protests demanding the release of Director of
Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu turned tragic, conflicting
figures now trail the death toll.
On Wednesday, reports indicated how security agents fired
at protesters on the Niger Bridge Head, ostensibly in a
move to dislodge the agitators.
Some accounts say between nine and 13 people were
killed in the course of protest, while the police say only
one person, and a policeman died in the clash.
Other accounts alleged that the Joint Task Force (JTF)
comprising the Army, Navy, Police and Civil Defence
troops opened fire at protesting members of the
Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), and Movement for the
Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB)
which killed about nine people and injured 18.
Traffic flow has, however, resumed after over 12 hours
gridlock occasioned by the protest, which crippled
business and vehicular movement in the South East.
Deaths in Onitsha: Hold IPOB, MASSOB faction
responsible –Uwazuruike
From Dom Ekpunobi , Onitsha
National leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph
Uwazuruike, absolved  his group in the protests rocking
the South East and South South geo-political zones.
He also denied the involvement of his group in the deaths
of some protesters at  Onitsha on Wednesday.
Uwazurike said the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
and the Uchenna Madu-led MASSOB should be held
responsible for the protests that caused the deaths of five
people and destruction of property.
He  accused Madu and his co-leaders of being sponsored
by politicians to drag the image of MASSOB in the mud
because they were expelled from MASSOB over anti-
MASSOB activities.
Uwazuruike, who spoke  through his personal assistant,
Emmanuel Omenka,  said “Uchenna was expelled from
MASSOB in 2014 because of anti-MASSOB activity.
“When you don’t follow the organogram of MASSOB, we
expel you. So, they were expelled for not following the
organogram,” he posited.
Biafra: Obiano warns mischief-makers to keep off
Anambra
From Dom Ekpunobi, Onitsha
Anambra Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has warned
mischief makers to keep off the state.
Obiano issued the warning in a special broadcast. The
governor said he was in constant touch with security
personnel in the state, adding that “his government has
been monitoring developments with regards to protests by
the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement
for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra
(MASSOB).
“As your governor and chief security officer of the state, I
am compelled to act to avert any likely breakdown of law
and order. In all situations, the preservation of human life
comes first and I am determined to enforce that.
“Since the inception of my administration, we have made
the security of lives and property our priority and we are
not going to compromise on that. I, therefore, sincerely
appeal to members of IPOB and MASSOB and other
aggrieved groups and individuals to maintain the peace
and resist any attempt by hoodlums to take advantage of
the situation and destabilise any part of Anambra State.
“All mischief makers are hereby warned to keep off as we
will not tolerate any breach of peace under any guise or
pretext. You are seriously warned,” Obiano said in the
broadcast.