PUBLISHED JUNE 6, 2014
BY EJIKE SAMSON
Its
three years now since members of the Igbo secessionist group, Biafra
Zionist Federation (BZM) failed in a reported attempt to take over Enugu
Broadcasting Service Television House. Around 5:30 a.m. on June 5,
2014, youths of the group invaded the studio with a recorded Compact
Disc which allegedly contained an announcement of the secession of the
Biafran Nation. This was after the members of the movement were reported
to have taken over the Enugu legislature earlier in March of that year.
They were said to have ordered the staff to allow them make a live broadcast. The broadcasters refused and alerted the police.
A
police officer was sent to the location to contain the situation, but
was shot and killed by members of the group who also lost one of their
members who was killed by the police.
After
arresting the members, Adamu Mohammed, the then Enugu State
Commissioner of Police, told journalists the group had planned to set
the station on fire and said they came with a Compact Disc to “make a
live broadcast to Nigerians”.
Mohammed
also claimed that a paper with written words by the group, stated they
wanted the youths to “come out” and fight for their rights.
The police declared some of the members of the Benjamin Onwuka-led BZF wanted for their acts on that day.
One
of the members of the BZF who are wanted by the police is Michael
Ikenna Isiani. His father, Malachy Isiani, was a leading figure in the
BZF and they both were at the radio house when police stormed the place
to dislodge the group on that day. Ikenna and his Dad narrowly made an
escape from the scene as a member of BZF group was being gunned down to
death while a number of them were injured.
Ika
News world gathered from a source that the ordeal did not end that day.
“Following the ugly incident, policemen began a manhunt for the members
of the BZF. Their leader as well as other members were arrested.
Malachy Isiani was killed later that same day in mysterious
circumstances by some military and police men who invaded his house.
Ikenna however, managed to evade the men as they were hell-bent on
picking him up,” our source said.
Evading
the police came with an added disastrous consequence for Ikenna. On
that same day when some military and police men stormed his Enugu
residence where he was living with his family, including, his mother Mrs
Grace Isiani and sister Glory Isiani, he mistakenly knocked down an old
woman as he sped away from his gate on sighting gun-totting policemen
who pointed their guns on him. The frail woman later died, leaving him
facing a double trouble from the government and family members of the
old woman.
Since that
incident, the family of the woman has been making threats to kill Isiani
and his family because they wouldn’t, for some reasons, believe her
death was not premeditated.
Isiani has reportedly no were to be found, while his sister has also left Enugu for an unknown place.
“His
fight was simply for the freedom of his people. He’s not a dangerous
individual who would want to do anyone harm. Like others in BZF all he
wanted was freedom for the Igbo people from the oppression that they are
suffering in Nigeria. Now his family have paid a big prize for their
struggle for Igbo freedom. He has lost his Dad and he is now were to be
found.
The government see people like him as threat, and the family of the dead woman are vowing a revenge,” our source said.
Ika
News world sought to know why he didn’t give himself up and clear his
name in court, because the movement "Biafra" don't always get proper
trial added: “The state has already found them guilty and events over
the years show they won’t get a fair trial.”
