Pro-Biafra protest: Cash looted, vehicles worth N50m destroyed in Onitsha factory

Over N50 million worth of valuables were allegedly destroyed by the pro-Biafra protesters at Onitsha, Anambra State.
The protesters, who stormed Best Aluminum Manufacturing Company limited at Anyika Street, Ozala Layout Awada, Onitsha, with various weapons during the protest allegedly carted away N12million cash, burnt two vehicles, destroyed six others, smashed building glasses, looted computers and generating sets.

Best Aluminum Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Pius Nweke  said the hoodlums, numbering about 200, stormed the factory with intent of collecting arms from policemen on guard. When that  failed, he said they stole and  destroyed.
He said the protest by pro-Biafra agitators was hijacked by miscreants, adding that immediately “they forced themselves into the factory, they  went straight to a new car parked within the premises, poured fuel and burnt it and also went ahead and burnt another bus, destroying six other vehicles.
Nweke alleged that the hoodlums also went to the cashier’s office and collected N12 million and also, made away with sets of computers and generating set as well as destroying glasses of the building, saying they equally injured two staff.
Meanwhile, normalcy has returned in Onitsha,  following Wednesday’s orgy  of violence. Security operatives were seen in every part of the city patrolling to ensure that law and order were maintained.
Police Area Commander in charge of Onitsha, Mr. Philip Ezekie, an Assistant Commissioner of Police  told Daily Sun that the city was calm and that the Hausa community who ran for cover to various police stations to avoid attacks were safe.
He noted that some of them in Fegge were evacuated to Asaba for safety.
The pro-Biafra protesters on Wednesday took to streets to demand the release  of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu director of Radio Biafra.
In a related development, the  Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of the President-General, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, yesterday urged Muslims in the country to resist the temptation of  retaliating Wednesday’s attacks on Muslims and the central mosque of Onitsha in Anambra State.
The position of the religious body on the Onitsha mayhem was made known at a press conference addressed by its Secretary- General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede in Ilorin, Kwara State yesterday.
The NSCIA’s scribe urged Muslims to consider the perpetrators as criminals and not representatives of any ethnic or religious group.
“The NSCIA is fully aware of the development and is working round the clock to put the situation under control. Muslims are warned against the antics of those who seek to whip up religious sentiments to further their clandestine political motives. “Vengeance is for Allah and Muslims should exercise maximum restraint in these trying times.
“We call on Muslim brothers and sisters not to embark on reprisal attacks on Christians and their places of worship in any part of Nigeria. We are already engaged in discussions with various security and relevant government agencies to forestall further aggravation of the situation.”