The Biafran: Onitsha Massacre: Vanguard continues to DISGRACE itself by helping Nigerian Navy to cover up heinous crimes against Biafrans

Onitsha Massacre: Vanguard continues to DISGRACE itself by helping Nigerian Navy to cover up heinous crimes against Biafran humanities

Vanguard Newspaper is a disgrace. No other word can be used to describe such despicable acts by a supposedly national newspaper who deliberately distorts information even when there are ample evidence suggesting otherwise.

Despite available evidence to show that the Nigerian Navy and police deliberately massacred peaceful and unarmed Biafran protesters Vanguard chose to misform the public on the matter.

It is appalling that Vanguard had never stepped into Onitsha to thoroughly investigate the matter and hear from the many injured persons still lying critical in the matter.

In a bid to thwart the rights of Biafrans, Vanguard is slowly turning into an irredeemable junk newspaper in Nigeria.

Initially, Vanguard tried to paint the picture that there was a clash and shootout between the Indigenous people of Biafra and the navy personnel, in order to suggest that the protesters were armed.

As this did not hold water, one week after, Vanguard came out with another report where the navy denied killing anyone, admitting they only shot in the air to dismiss protesters.

According to the report by one Samuel Oyadongha, who was apparently from Yenagoa, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Stanley Ogoigbe, yesterday, described as unfounded the alleged killing of members of the Movement of the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) by operatives of the command in Anambra State.

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The command, with headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, is in charge of Anambra, Kogi, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

Ogoigbe, who spoke to newsmen at the command’s headquarters, said it became necessary for him to personally clear the air on the rumoured killing of the MASSOB members which he described as baseless.

Reports had alleged a violent clash between members of the pro-Biafra group and navy personnel in Onitsha, Anambra State, where some members of the group were allegedly killed.

But the FOC dismissed the claim insisting that the navy personnel only shot into the air to scare a large number of MASSOB members who were on a protest march towards the Onitsha head bridge as the protesting youths had already overrun the police on duty and did not injure, let alone, killing a soul.

His words, “No such act was ever committed. The MASSOB group was on a protest march. They overran the policemen on duty and were coming towards the navy personnel. As they approached, the navy fired warning shots into the air to scare them away and they all dashed away. Nobody died in the process.

“To our surprise, MASSOB started claiming that the navy has killed two of their men. I don’t know what they wish to achieve with this propaganda, fabricating stories against the navy.

“We just want all well meaning Nigerians to know that no MASSOB member was killed in that area of Anambra State where the navy was keeping peace and carrying out their legitimate duties”.

Also speaking, the Commanding Officer, Naval Outpost, Onitsha, where the incident happened, Navy Capt. Dika Kwabe, said there was no iota of truth in the claim by MASSOB that her members were killed by the navy.

So the question any reasonable journalist would have asked was who killed all those people in Onitsha on 23rd April 2015?

When the Nigerian Navy and police are brought to trial at the ICC, Vanguard should also prepare to defend themselves as accomplices.

Shame on you Vanguard! People rely on you to provide them accurate account of things and information. You rather chose to deliberately misform your readers and the public.

SHAME ON YOU VANGUARD!