The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described the fire incident that occurred in Onitsha, Anambra state, on Wednesday as a “terrorist attack”.
A woman and her child were killed in the inferno while more than 100 shops with goods such as clothing and electronic appliances were reportedly razed.
In a statement by Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesman, the group commiserated with the families and communities that lost their loved ones.
Powerful wondered why such mishaps were not happening “where the owners of the tankers hail from”, alleging that the “attack” was designed by “evil men” to wipe out Biafrans .
“With a profound sense of deep sorrow and sadness we commiserate with all the families and communities that lost loved ones over the terror attack in Onitsha on the 16 October 2019,” the statement read.
“This is not the first time an articulated lorry or a tanker laden with inflammable liquid has been involved in mass fatalities in Onitsha or other parts of Anambra State.
“The story is always the same, its either their trailer had brake failure or their tanker exploded, all resulting in massive loss of lives and destruction of individually owned businesses.
“We the Indigenous People of Biafra call these callous and wicked acts for what it is- a cowardly terrorist attack designed by those evil men determined to exterminate we Biafrans from the face of the earth.
“This massive loss of lives and businesses in Onitsha is most unwelcome. Why must tankers driven by northerners always explode in the south or the brakes of their trailers always fail in Biafraland? It is time now for our people to wake up to this new reality of population reduction.” (The Cable)
