ATP - Five members
of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Onitsha, Anambra State, were
killed yesterday.
The
unfortunate incident happened as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB) were rejoicing over the decision of a Federal High Court in Abuja to
unconditionally release the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, when
soldiers attached to the 302 Artillery Regiment in Onitsha opened fire on
them, killing five instantly and injuring 25 others.
The
soldiers wrongly believed that IPOB supporters had trooped out to
protest against the detention of their leader,Nnamdi Kanu, not knowing that
they were celebrating his release. The incident happened at the Onitsha
end of the River Niger Bridge and immediately caused panic among motorists and
commuters who scampered for safety as tension pervaded the city.
As
soon as members of IPOB heard the news of Nnamdi Kanu’s release, They all
turned out en-mass, singing and jubilating in preparatory to a procession
but were stopped by policemen and soldiers who were around the
area. The IPOB members were accosted by the soldiers and asked to
stop their march towards the bridge, an order the group allegedly defied.
An
argument ensued between the soldiers and the group which later degenerated
into violence. At this point, the soldiers, he said, started shooting
sporadically to scare the swarming crowd of IPOB members, but unfortunately,
they shot at five of them who died on the spot with about 25 others wounded.
During
the shooting, people ran for their lives but some IPOB members who mustered the
courage threw pebbles at the soldiers who retaliated by shooting at the defenseless
people.
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