Pro-biafra agitators disrupt Igbo leaders’ meeting in Enugu
Police arrest 11 members
PRo-biafra agitators yesterday stormed the venue of an event in Enugu organised by Igbo leaders and disrupted it.
The Igbo leaders, under the aegis of Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA), led by Chief Elliot Uko, had gathered at the Universal Hotel Premises to honour some of her illustrious persons, including former president, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; former Governor of Old Imo State, the late Chief Sam Mbakwe; former woman activist, the late Mrs. Margaret Ekpo and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amechi.
Trouble had started when the pro-biafra groups that stormed the venue in several buses that included the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), MASSOB, Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF), among others, had attempted to gain recognition.
They had approached Uko, who was moderating proceedings and demanded to be accorded recognition.
Apparently knowing how riotous they could be if given opportunity, Uko appealed to them to exercise some patience and not to interrupt the proceedings since the event was “not a Biafra affair but purely aimed at honouring some distinguished Igbo as well as advancing the quest for restructuring of the country.”
No sooner had he talked about restructuring than the members of the group resorted to shouts of “Give us Biafra, We want Biafra”. They resorted to chanting Biafra songs and demanding explanation why the leader of the IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, was not in the gathering. The atmosphere became so charged that Uko had to call off the event when the elders at the high table started sneaking out.
That however did not solve the problem as the agitators resorted to kicking and scat- tering whatever had been placed in the form of decoration at the venue.
While majority of them blocked entrances leading into the hotel, others took strategic positions on the road, thereby preventing movement around the area and charting Biafra songs.
Several guests, who were locked up in the premises following the chaos, including Prof. Elo Amucheazi, either sustained injuries or suffered attacks from the agitators, who attempted to ensure that none left the venue.
It took the intervention of the police who chased the agitators to various directions after firing several can- isters of teargas for those in the venue to find their way out. Many of the agitators were also arrested at the venue by the police.
Uko, who spoke with newsmen, later, said though he invited the pro-biafra groups, but the invitation was to enable them be part of those honouring distinguished Igbo who excelled in their chosen fields.
“I did not invite them to champion the cause of Biafra. I am not a believer in the dismemberment of the country. I believe in restructuring as the way to go in the country. I believe it is the only thing we need to survive, nothing more,” he said.
He lamented the action of the pro-biafra groups, stressing that he invited them based on the prompting of one of the Igbo leaders. He said that he could not have allowed them to be recognised “because I know they would start agitating for Biafra which is not why we gathered.”
But leader of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, who wondered why Uko should deny the pro-biafra agitators recognition, said they were properly invited to the event.
Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer in Enugu State, Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the arrest of members of the pro-biafra groups at the venue of the event.