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Tag: Benjamin Onwuka

  • Leader of pan-Biafra group freed

    Leader of the pan Biafran group, Biafra Zionist Federation (BZM), Benjamin Onwuka has been released from prison.

    Onwuka was arrested on August 20, 2018 in Enugu during an agitation. He was kept incommunicado for several months.

    He was later transferred to Owerri Prisons from where he was released on July 1.

    Addressing journalists shortly after he arrived at Enugu, Onwuka said he had become more strengthened in his push for Biafra. He said with the support of the United States, his inauguration as Biafra President would hold on July 30 at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu.

    Onwuka also claimed that while in detention, he met with President Muhammadu Buhari, and he told the President there was no going back on Biafra.

    He said: “I am happy to inform our people that our victory is here. I have always said they cannot stop us. They took me on August 20, 2018, and dumped me at an underground cell in Aso Drive, Abuja. I spent three months and four days inside that terrible place.

    Read Also: I’ll be inaugurated Biafra President on July 30, Onwuka declares

    “Throughout that period, I was fed with a slice of bread in the morning, a spoon of rice in the afternoon, and few lobes of semovita at the night. From there, I was taken to Owerri prison where I spent seven months, before I was finally released on July 1.

    “The craziest part of it is that I was not charged of anything. When they brought me before the court in Owerri, the judge said I jumped earlier bail granted to me. But I wonder how someone held inside an underground cell jumped bail.

    “However, all that is now history; we are marching forward and that is why I am asking all Biafrans to turn out en-masse for the inauguration of Biafra government.”

    On claims that he met Buhari while in detention, Onwuka said: “At the meeting facilitated by the US, I told Buhari that there was no going back on Biafra. I chronicled all the injustice and marginalization Biafrans are facing, and made him understand that Biafra is a different entity and has nothing to do with Nigeria.”

    The Zionists leader, who equally spoke on the controversial Ruga proposal, warned that such would not be tolerated in any of the ‘Biafra areas’.

    “The Nigeria government should limit its Ruga, or whatever they call it to 10 states of Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno and Yobe. Any other place outside these 10 is a no-go-area.

    “We are sending this clear warning because this is nothing but another push towards the realization of the on-going islamisation agenda in the country.”

  • Biafra Zionists leader arraigned, remanded in prison

    The leader of the Biafra Zionists Federation, (BZF), Benjamin Onwuka has been remanded in prison in custody.

    Onwuka, who was arrested in August after an encounter with security operatives, has been incommunicado ever since.

    However, the Deputy leader of the group, Mazi Ambrose Ugwu, told journalists in Enugu Thursday that Onwuka has been docked at the Federal High Court, Owerri by the Department of State Services, DSS.

    “I can confirm to you that our leader has finally been arraigned in court by the DSS.

    “After keeping him away from us and other members of the public for over three months, they arraigned him at the Federal High Court, Owerri. The trial judge remanded him in prison on the premise that he may jump bail,” Ugwu said.

    While describing the latest development as unacceptable, he called on the Federal Government to order for the immediate release of their leader.

    “Our demand has not changed. The Biafra leader, Barr. Benjamin Onwuka has not done anything to warrant his being incarcerated. This is not but oppression and suppression of our rights to freedom as guaranteed under the Nigeria Constitution and other international treaties.

    “He should be immediately release unconditionally because they have done more damage to his rights already by keeping him incommunicado for over three months.

    “The DSS has no right to have kept him for such long a time without charging him to court. Now, that he has been arraigned, the claim of his jumping bail should not even arise at all.

    “We call on Muhammadu Buhari’s government to free our leader immediately without any condition attached,” the group demanded.

  • Pro-Biafra group plot anti-Ohanaeze protest

    … As Onwuka remains incommunicado

     

     

    Members of the Biafra Zionists Federation (BZF) Friday declared that they were running out of patience over the whereabouts of their leader, Benjamin Onwuka.

    Onwuka has remained incommunicado 11 days after he was reportedly arrested by security operatives after a 3rd failed attempt to enter the Enugu Government House.

    In a statement by the group’s Deputy Leader, Mazi Ambrose Ugwu, he said the youths wing of the BZF were mobilizing for a massive protest against the South-East Governors and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    Read Also:100-yr-old repairman’s Biafra regrets

    Ugwu, who said the leadership of the BZF has been calming the youths down for nearly two weeks, said “as it stands now, there is very little we can do any longer.

    “Our youths have run out of patience in their demand to see Onwuka, either dead or alive. No law allows for the detention of any Nigerian for more than 24 hours without being charged to court, more so when the person is being denied access to food and his relations.

    “For the umpteenth time, we want to make it loud and clear, our leader, Barr. Benjamin Onwuka is being held under the instruction of the South-East Governors and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Nnia Nwodo.

    “Our youths are mobilizing for a massive protest and it will lead to a total shutdown of whatever is called Ohanaeze Ndigbo. We, the elders of the Zionsits have been holding them back, with the believe that those concerned will do the needful, but we can’t hold them forever.

    “The earlier Nnia Nwodo and his cohorts, the South-East governors release Onwuka’s corpse for us, the better for them. Our demand is simple: ‘we want to see our leader, dead or alive’.

    “Nwodo and his Ohanaeze are merely interested in propagating the interest of his choice northern presidential candidate than the Igbo he claims to lead. And will soon come for him to pay for betraying the people and for sabotaging the Biafa struggle.

    “For now, we demand immediate disbandment of the Nwodo’s leadership of Ohanaeze. We have seized to recognize him as such and urge all lovers of Igbo course to do same.”

  • Pro-Biafra group seek release of arrested leader’s ‘corpse’

    Members of the Biafra Zionists Federation ( BZF) have made claims that its leader, Barr. Benjamin Onwuka is dead.

    Onwuka was arrested alongside his members on Monday August 20 as they attempted to enter the Enugu Government House for the purpose of inauguration of Biafra.

    However, while his followers were freed same evening, Onwuka has not been heard of ever since.

    In a press statement on Friday, the Deputy Leader of the group, Mazi Ambrose Ugwu said every effort they had made to ascertain the whereabouts of their leader had been unfruitful.

    Ugwu alleged : “From all indications, our leader, Barr. Benjamin Onwuka has been killed by security forces.

    “We have been at the DSS Enugu office for several times but they are silent on the matter. The very first day others were released, they even told us that Onwuka too was released. But it turned out to be a hoax.

    “For the past four days, we have gone there to at least give him food, but they refused us entry. So, based on the above situations, we have no further doubt that he has been killed.

    “We are now urging the International Community, especially the United States and Israel to prevail on the Nigerian Government to release his corpse to us for a decent burial. He deserves to be accorded such burial in the light of his struggle for the people.

    “The Buhari’s Government should direct whoever is holding the corpse to release it to the Zionists’ family to enable us pay our last respect to him.

    “However, we must also decry a situation where the Nigerian Security Forces are turning their arms against harmless freedom fighters whereas armed herdsmen are walking the streets unhindered. Nobody has ever seen any Zionist with a matchet, let alone a gun.

    “It is, therefore, the apex of oppression that we are being subjected to this level of intimidation because we are asking for freedom, which we are doing in line with all international laws and conventions.”

    “No form of intimidation will, however, make us to to drop our right for self-determination. We can’t be forced to remain in a country where there is no justice and equity.

    “The disparity in handling killer herdsmen and Biafra agitators is a case in point. While the former is receiving kingly treatment, despite killing thousands of Nigerians, the latter are being subjected to all manner of torture for being civil in their approach,” he further lamented.