Biafra Day: Tension as soldiers take over Onitsha bridgehead, conduct stop, search

THERE was tension at the bridgehead in Onitsha, Anambra State yesterday following a blockade by Army from 302 military cantonments.

The blockade, ac­companied by stop and search, Daily Sun learnt, was connected with Monday’s clash between pro-Biafran agitators and security agents dur­ing the 30th Biafra Day celebration which later turned bloody.

Our correspondent, who visited the bridge­head, observed that many soldiers at the foot of the bridge conducted the stop and search.

The situation caused gridlock for those coming into the city from Delta State and those going out through the River Niger Bridge to other states in­cluding Edo and Lagos.

                                      

A military source told Daily Sun that they would remain at the bridgehead to ensure that “nobody or group of persons block the bridge and prevents movement in and out of the state.”

Meanwhile, Campaign for Democracy (CD) has condemned deployment of soldiers at the bridge­head. CD National Pub­licity Secretary, Dede Uzor. A Uzor, in a state­ment, condemned the blockade and alleged ha­rassment of innocent mo­torists.

Meanwhile, Biafra In­dependent Movement (BIM) and Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB) zonal lead­er in Abia North senato­rial district, Pastor Evan I. Okoronkwo has said that there is light at the end of the tunnel as far as the Biafran struggle is concerned.

He gave the assur­ance in Arochukwu when thousands of Biaf­ran faithful turned out to mark the annual Biafran Independence anniver­sary day.

“Biafran People, both young and old trooped out in their thousands, defied the threats of se­curity agencies to march along the major Aro­chukwu Road, within Arochukwu Local Gov­ernment Area headquar­ters, chanting praises to Almighty God for giving them victory over powers of darkness in the face of stiff opposition.”