Pro-Biafra group’s bid to seize Enugu radio, TV stations foiled

BY  MR CHUKWUMA NWANKWO

ENUGU—Members of the Pro-Biafra group, Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, led by Benjamin Onwuka, who allegedly attacked the Government House, Enugu on March 8 allegedly struck again in the early hours

of yesterday at the Enugu State Broadcasting Service, ESBS in an attempt to seize the radio and television station for a broadcast.

The move was however foiled by a team of policemen alerted by some staff of the station who arrived for the morning duty and met their premises under siege.

A police sergeant and a member of BZF were killed in a shootout while a police inspector who led the team was seriously wounded.

The BZF leader, Benjamin Onwuka and 12 members of his group were arrested as they tried to escape from the station after the clash with the policemen and were said to be undergoing interrogation at the Criminal Investigations Department of the State Police Command.

Eyewitness accounts said the BZM members, in an operation similar to the March 8 invasion of the Enugu Government House, stormed the premises of ESBS through the fence at about 5 am and held the securitymen and staff on night shift hostage.

The arrested Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, members on parade.

They forcefully gained entry into the offices including the studio and attempted to put on the equipment for a live broadcast.

But unknown to them, the television had been off air since the past two days while they were unable to access the radio station which was broadcasting at the time.

“While they were struggling with the station’s staff, four policemen who got wind of the invasion by the hoodlums arrived the premises in two patrol cars and moved into the station to confront them. Soon after they got into the building we started hearing gunshots and people were running helter-skelter. There was heavy shooting but I don’t know if the BZM members were armed.    At the end we saw the corpse of a police sergeant and a member of the group on the floor. The Police Inspector who sustained injuries on his head was immediately taken away by his colleagues,” an eyewitness said.

However, having failed to accomplish their mission, Onwuka and his colleagues escaped through the Universal Hotel road on foot but some mobile policemen drafted to the scene from the Government House, about a kilometer away, were said to have pursued them into the bush behind some government offices near the State House of Assembly Complex and apprehended them.

Onwuka and 12 members were reportedly arrested and taken to the state police headquarters.The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the arrest of Onwuka and his members but did not give the number of those in custody.

According to him, “one police sergeant was killed, one other police officer injured while one died on the side of the hoodlums”, promising to give further details when ongoing enquiry into their activities were concluded.

The BZM had allegedly laid siege to the Enugu State Government House in the early hours of March 8, 2014 and hoisted the flags and banners of the defunct Republic of Biafra.

Three days later, Onwuka and two of his officials appeared at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Press Centre, Enugu and addressed a news conference claiming responsibility for the invasion of the Government House.

He said they successfully occupied the Enugu State seat of power for over four hours and accomplished their mission, saying “I want to let you know what happened on March 8 at the Government House Enugu. This is to confirm the true report about what happened. You know very well that since January 12, 1970, the flag of Biafra has never rested on the Government House in Enugu which is the centre power of the Biafra people.