Nine dead, over 8 injured as Taskforce open fire on
protesting IPOB members in Onitsha Nnewi – The peaceful protest embarked upon
on Tuesday by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, against the continued
incarceration of Mr. Nnamdi Kalu the Radio Biafra Director, turned bloody at
about 1.30 am early hours of Wednesday, after an alleged encounter by the Joint
Military Taskforce comprising, Army, Navy, Police and Civil Defense, who
clashed at Niger Bridge Head with some members of the IPOB who vowed to
continue their blockage of the bridge for three days until Kanu is released.
The encounter left about nine people dead, five at Niger Bridge Head, three at
Obodoukwu Road, a Suya meat seller said to have been hit by stray bullet who
died instantly. Miscreants on hearing that some people have been shot dead by
the joint Military taskforce went into another protest, marched to the Central
mosque at near Onitsha Main Market and set it, a Hilux Pick Up van with federal
Government number was also burnt when the Joint Military Taskforce held
motorist and commuters hostage at Upper Iweka with sporadic shooting that has
never been witnessed before in Onitsha. The protesting IPOB members had blocked
the Niger Bridge early Tuesday morning there by grounded vehicular movement in
and outside Onitsha, and people who knew alternative through the river Niger
boarded Flying and Speed boat through Marine Police station to cross in and out
of Onitsha to Asaba, but incidentally the protest was aggravated with Wednesday
early hours shooting to death of five IPOB members seen at about .30 am
observing their three days protest at the Niger Bridge Head agaisng the
continued detention of their leader, Mr. Kanu. As at the time filing this
report all the markets in Onitsha have been shut down around 12.30 pm, as
millions of traders in all the markets in Onitsha and its environs were seen
scampering for safety and rekking to their homes, looking tired and worried, as
gun shut were sporadically shot almost every corner in Onitsha. The protest had
their peaceful protest on Tuesday without any casualty but the situation was
aggravated when the Joint Military Taskforce who could not disperse them on
Tuesday invaded the Niger Bridge at about 1.30 am and opened fire on the
thousands of the IPOB members who refused to leave the Niger Bridge, the entry
to South East, killing six people including the Suya seller said to have been
hit by stray bullet. The alleged killing of the IPOB members was said to have
sparked off another protest by IPOB members who were joined by MASSOB members
who made born fires along Onitsha Owerri Road and Onitsha Enugu Express way,
forcing motorists coming in and out of Onitsha from both Enugu, Asaba, Owerri
difficult to enter or exit. One of our reporters who went to Oba for an
assignment was trapped at Oba Junction, where had to pay N3,000 from Oba
Junction to Tazan junction Onitsha, as over 2000 vehicles coming into Onitsha
were seen parked at the Oba junction and refused to come into Onitsha.
source:liveofofo.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment