What started out as a peaceful protest on Tuesday, December 1, by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) against the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the Radio Biafra Director, escalated into a bloodbath in the early hours of Wednesday, December 2 when the Joint Military Task force clashed with members of the IPOB.

The Joint Military Task force comprises of Nigerian Army, Navy, Police and Civil Defense.

The IPOB protesters had on Tuesday, December 1 morning blocked the Niger Bridge  leading to the grounding of vehicular movements into and out of Onitsha.

The members of the group had vowed to continue staging their protest, until Nnamdi Kanu is released.

In a twist of events, the Joint Military Task force, reportedly unable to get the protesters to vacate the bridge, opened fire on the multitude of protesters killing five people at Niger Bridge Head, three at Obodoukwu Road and a Suya meat vendor was said to have been hit by a stray bullet.

When the protesters learnt of the alleged killings by the Joint Military Task force, IPOB, joined by MASSOB members marched in a newly formed protest to the vicinity of Onitsha Main market and the Central Mosque, lighting up bonfires and disrupting movements.