At least three persons were reportedly killed following a clash between Navy personnel and members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Onitsha, Anambra State. Based on what was gathered, some members of Biafra were allegedly killed on Sunday afternoon during a clash with the men of the Nigerian Navy at Onitsha.
Though there were conflicting reports as regard the casualty figure following the clash with IPOB members, who were stated to be evangelizing to the people about the actualisation of Biafra.
As stated by some sources, as many as 10 persons were shot dead while other sources said between three and five persons were allegedly killed when the Naval officers from the Odekpe Naval Post drafted to Uga junction for on-the-spot check allegedly had misunderstanding that led to the bloody clash near Premier Breweries Onitsha along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.
An eyewitness, who is also a member of IPOB, stated several other of their members sustained injures following the clash, saying that the dead bodies of their colleagues and the injured were taken to the Borromeo Hospital in Nkpor, near Onitsha.
The source stated IPOB members started the match from Mgbuka Obosi through Owerri Road to Nkpor, then back to Upper Iweka and was heading to Bridge head when a detachment of Navy personnel at Uga, Junction allegedly attacked them, killing and injuring several members of the group. He stated the IPOB members numbering about 3,000 remained calm in the face of obvious provocation, insisting that nothing warranted the unprovoked attack on the innocent people.
However, a top official of the group Daniel Nzekwe stated that so far about five of their members were killed in the attack, but stated that he was still visiting the hospitals where injured ones were taken to ascertain the actual figure of the dead members. Meanwhile, tension was building up in Onitaha following the incident, especially because eyewitnesses confirmed that the attack was unprokoked and unwarranted.