For the umpteenth time, the Nigerian Army has justified its action against protesting members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) about two weeks ago, which led to the death of many.
In its report on the incident, Amnesty International (AI) had accused the Nigerian Army of killing no fewer than 17 protesters, said to be unarmed.
But the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, in a statement by its spokesman, Col. HA Gambo, insisted that the pro-Biafra protesters allegedly engaged in violent protests, hence the intervention of soldiers, to restore order.
“The attention of 82 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to insinuations of misdeed being levelled by Amnesty International against security forces during the MASSOB/IPOB violent protests in Onitsha and environs on 31 May 2016. Accordingly, it is deemed imperative for the wrong and misleading impressions with which the public is being fed to be corrected once and for all.
“The synopsis of occurrence on that fateful day is that elements of MASSOB/IPOB engaged in violent protests which were featured with outright disregard for law and order.
In the scenario of anarchy that ensued, the pro-Biafran protesters who had chosen the day to mark the 50th Anniversary of Biafra perpetrated a number of unimaginable atrocities to unhinge the reign of peace, security and stability in several parts of Anambra State.
“A number of persons from the settler communities that hailed from other parts of the country were selected for attack, killed and burnt.
Two personnel of the Nigeria Police were killed, several soldiers were wounded, a Nigeria Police vehicle was completely burnt down while another of the Nigerian Army was vandalized.”
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