Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday resumed their nationwide protest at Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State.

The hundreds of protesters who displayed different banners and placards marched on the ever busy Onitsha-Enugu Expressway for over two hours, chanting solidarity song for their leader, Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, who has been incarcerated for more than one month by the Directorate of Security Service (DSS), Abuja.

Some of the placards had inscriptions as “Nigeria is a lawless land, and a terrorist state,” “Biafra is a Nation, not a Society,” “Free Innocent man, Nnamdi Kanu or there will be no peace”, among others.

Though the protesters were peaceful, they dared the military, the police, and other security outfits.

The IPOB members took their protest march from Niger Bridge Head, at the statue of late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, to Naval Outpost, Atani Road before going back to Uga Junction, where they again joined the Onitsha - Asaba - Enugu Expressway, down to Upper Iweka Fly Over.

On getting back to the Upper Iweka Fly Over, the IPOB members danced for about 30 minutes, thereby causing a heavy gridlock before their leaders directed them to allow the vehicles to move.

They also took their protest march towards Zik’s Roundabout but stopped briefly in front of the Onitsha Military Cantonment along the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, dancing, chanting anti-Federal and Anambra State Government songs, demanding for the release of Kanu. They warned that if anything happened to Kanu, they would make Nigeria ungovernable.

The IPOB members also stopped at Inosi Onira, the home of the first president of Nigeria, late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, to pay homage to Zik’s statue built at the Roundabout, and to address journalists.

According to the group’s spokesmen, who gave their names as Emma Powerful and Sunday Igbokenyi, IPOB is wondering why Mr. Kanu should still be in detention after the court had granted him bail. They alleged that a ban was recently placed on goods majorly imported by Igbos in a bid to humiliate them.

The protesters finally took their protest to Ogbunike Toll Gate, from where they turned and marched to Awka Road and Old Market Road in Onitsha, causing heavy traffic jam as they moved.

•Photo shows IPOB members during a protest march.

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