About 20 Ipob members arrested in Enugu for opposing the granting of award to Nnamdi Azikiwe

ABOUT 20 Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) members have been arrested by the police in Enugu for protesting at an event organised by a pan-Igbo group to honour some Igbo personalities including Nigeria's first president Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Yesterday, the event was organised in recognition of prominent Igbo sons and daughters with a view to honour them as heroes. According to eyewitnesses, the event was proceeding smoothly until one of the Igbo leaders commenced speaking on the need to restructure Nigeria along regional lines.

This development apparently angered the agitators, who interrupted the speaker, insisting that it is Biafra or nothing else. Attempts by the organisers of the event to calm the frayed nerves of the secessionists were not successful.

After this, the Ipob activists became violent when it was announced that Dr Azikiwe was to be given a posthumous award for his efforts towards sustaining the unity of the country. The announcement angered the pro-Biafran agitators, who voiced their condemnation of Dr Azikiwe’s nationalistic politics as they blamed him for the current travails of the Igbo in Nigeria and insisted on secession.

Efforts by the organisers of the event to subdue the irate youths were met with violence, as the agitators invaded the high table and attacked some of the dignitaries. Following this, the Igbo leaders fled the venue as the agitators threw stones and other objects at the vehicles that conveyed them.

Several cars were damaged in the process and journalists were not spared, as the incensed activists also chased them away from the venue of the event. Not satisfied with scuttling the event, the agitators took to the streets of Enugu metropolis, chanting solidarity songs and displaying posters of Ipob leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

These agitators blocked some major streets when men of the Enugu State Police Command swooped on them and about 20 suspected Ipob members were arrested. However, Ebere Amaraizu, the spokesman for the Enugu State Police Command, who confirmed the arrests, said no fewer than 11 suspected Ipob members were apprehended.

Mr Amaraizu said: “No fewer than 11 persons suspected to be members of the outlawed Biafran group were nabbed by the Enugu State Police Command operatives today, February 27, 2018. They were nabbed based on intelligence information gathered which guided the operatives on the successful operations carried out.

"Those arrested are helping the operatives in their investigations in relation to their alleged nefarious activities and will be arraigned properly in a law court after investigations are concluded. Members of the public are enjoined to be law abiding, security conscious and also to partner with the police.”