Enugu Attack: We Want to Reaffirm Biafra's Independence

A pan-Biafra organisation, the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF), formerly Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM), led by British trained lawyer Benjamin Onwuka, has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Enugu Government House.

The group said its motive was to hoist the Biafra flag and “reconfirm the independence of the Republic of Biafra.”

Over 500 members of the Biafra Zionist Federation were arrested and detained by the police on November 5, 2012, at Enugu, after it re-declared the Republic of Biafra.

Members said Nigeria “must vacate Biafra by March 31 and failure to do so will result in a blood bath.”

Onwuka, who led the Enugu invasion, told reporters in Enugu that “since January 12, 1970, the Biafra flag has never rested in Government House, Enugu, which is the Biafra’s centre of power.”

He said they were unarmed, saying they only brought flags, sticks and ropes to hoist the flags, which also included that of Israel. “We don’t know how the police came up with the story of machetes, cutlasses and charms.”

Onwuka said: “What we did on March 8 was to re-confirm the independence of the Republic of Biafra, which we successfully did. We didn’t attack the Government House. But we captured it for the Biafra people. We battled for four hours from 3 a.m. By 7 a.m., we retreated because we didn’t have any weapons, to avoid loss of life.

“And the reason why we did it was to show the Biafra people that the hope of Biafra is still alive. And nothing shall quench the aspirations of the people to be independent. And that independence has resurrected. So the Biafra flag was raised at the Government House on March 8. And I, Benjamin Igwe Onwuka led the operation.”

The group warned the police to free four of their members. “Those boys must be freed now because what Nigeria is going to face soon would not be forgotten easily.

It called for the unity of pan-Biafra organisations, such as MASSOB, MEND, Bakassi Peninsular Boys, Zionism and others.

The BZF, which drew a new map of Biafra, including Benue, Kogi, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and southern Ondo, said there was no division among these groups