Gunmen Invade Enugu Broadcasting Service, Kill Policeman

The Police in Enugu State have arrested 12 men who invaded the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) with guns. The gunmen killed a police sergeant during a gun battle.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Abubakar Mohammed, announced this in Enugu yesterday, Thursday while parading the suspects before journalists.

He said the suspects who claimed to be members of the Biafran Zionist Movement (BZM) had the intention of declaring Sovereign State of Biafra.

“They were arrested during a gun battle with the police at the broadcasting service. A police sergeant was shot dead during the fracas.”

According to him, the group, led by one Benjamin Onwuka had stormed the ESBS at about 5:20 a.m. on Thursday 5 June armed with machete, 46 empty bottles of beer and 25 litres of petrol.

He said that they also had the intention of setting the complex ablaze.

“They entered the studio and wanted the people there to give them access to make a live broadcast.

“They had a CD and an address where they recorded what they wanted to tell members of the public in the course of the broadcast.

“They wanted to urge the people of Obiagu, Ogui, students, tricycle operators and others in Enugu to come out.

“They wanted business people and markets to close and for political office holders to surrender their positions and property and to overthrow government,” he said.

Mohammed said that the leader of the group had been on the wanted list of the police for sometime over his activities of causing disaffection in the state and beyond.

“We will not tolerate any group of people that are confronting government because it is illegal,” he said.

The commissioner did not allow journalists to talk to the suspects, stating that: “these are people that want every opportunity to address the public and we will not allow that.”

NAN reports that the suspects were aged between 45 and 65 years.

NAN recalls that the group attempted to enter the Government House in Enugu in an alleged plan to hoist the Biafran Flag in March.