Southeast Nigeria on shut-down as Biafra marks 50 years

Shops, schools and businesses were shut in south-east Nigeria on Tuesday, 50 years to the day since an independent rRepublicof Biafra was declared, sparking a brutal civil war.

In Onitsha, the economic hub of Anambra state on the banks of the River Niger, most markets were closed and the streets were largely empty of people and traffic.

Separatist sentiment persists in the region, which is dominated by the Igbo people, and the main pro-Biafran independence group has called on supporters to stay at home.

“No work today, we are Biafran, we are not Nigerians,” said Ebere Ichukwu Eli, one of the few people to venture outside, where there was a visible security presence.

“No violence, it is a peaceful sit at home. We are protesting peacefully,” the 47-year-old told AFP.

A woman who gave her name only as Justine, said: “The market is closed today. I’m just going home to stay with my children.

“We want our one Biafra. It’s our land. That’s why we all sit at home today.”