A Pan-Biafra Organization, the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF), formerly Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM), led by Mr. Benjamin Onwuka has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Enugu Government House.

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

Over 500 members of the Biafra Zionists 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  Biafra’s seat of power”.

He said they were unarmed, and that 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 Biafran people.  We battled for four hours from 3am.  By 7am, we repeated because we didn’t have any weapons, to avoid loss of life.

“And the reason why we did it was to show the Biafran 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 Biafran 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.  “These 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 organizations, 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.

It said the national conference was unacceptable to the Biafran people.

“We must go back to history, in January 1967 at the Aburi Convention in Accra, we signed what was agreed upon.  But on getting back to Lagos, the Nigerian government reneged.  That caused the civil war.  History must be the greatest teacher.  Those selected for the conference, Biafra says you should not go.

Meanwhile, the movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in Enugu State has demanded an unreserved apology from the police for smearing its image by linking it to the attack on Enugu Government House.

“It is now clear that we were never involved”, MASSOB leaders told newsmen in Enugu on Wednesday.

Ikechukwu Ekwe told journalists that MASOB is a non-violent organization and has no need for the Enugu Government House.

“What we are talking about is the Republic of Biafra, not a state Government House”.

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