Two Killed as Police Foil Attempt to Declare Biafra in Enugu

At least two persons, including police sergeant and a civilian, were yesterday killed when members of a secessionist group, Biafran Zionist Federation (BZF) stormed Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) to allegedly declare a state of Biafra.  

The leader of the group, Mr. Ben Igwe Onwuka, who had earlier been declared wanted by the police for the March 7, 2014 invasion of Enugu State Government House, was however arrested by the police along other 12 suspects even as many escaped.

Onwuka and his group allegedly forced themselves into the radio station before 5a.m., entered the studio and demanded to make a broadcast to allegedly declared independence of Biafra.

But for the smartness of the man on duty at the radio station who feigned ignorance of how to operate the equipment in the studio, there would have been serious crisis in the five states of the South-east.

He was said to have made efforts to placate the group and to buy time claiming the station was off air for three days, while one of the security men sneaked out and alerted their (ESBS) superiors who then called the police.

A team of policemen at the nearby Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Enugu office were the first to arrive the scene.

The policemen challenged the group but more members emerged from the bush and over-powered one of the policemen and during the commotion that ensued, the police sergeant and one of the BZF member were shot dead.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Adamu Mohammed, while parading the suspects at Enugu State Police Command, said the group were arrested with arms including guns, machetes, 25 -litre Jerry can of fuel and 46 empty bottles  of beer.

He said the police also recovered compact disk (CD) with recorded message and a sheet of paper containing the summary of the intended broadcast.

Abubakar confirmed the death of two persons, adding that it was the same group that attacked Enugu Government House in March.
"Today, at about 05:20 hours, the Ben Igwe Onwuka-led Biafran Zionist Federation invaded ESBS with the intention of setting the place ablaze.

"The highlight of what they wanted to tell the members of the public was an appeal calling for all boys from Obiagu to come out, all boys from Ogui to come out, all boys in Enugu to come out. They also asked students to come out; those people with Keke NAPEP (commercial tricycle) to come out. They wanted to order all businesses to be closed today, all schools to be closed, all markets to be closed and all government elected officials to surrender all property in their possession by mid-day.

"So you can see, these people went there in a sense of trying to overturn the government and its something that we will never tolerate," he said.