By Ishola Adeleke, YeyeNews.com, October 3, 2021
There was pandemonium at the Onitsha end of bridgehead in Anambra State on Thursday as people were seen diving into and surfacing out of Niger river grabbing naira notes as members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) were disposing monies in different naira denominations into the river.
The commotion created a terrible gridlock on both ends of the bridge as people were scattered all over the bridge and under towards the water. “We don’t want anything related to Nigeria. This is Biafra land. No more green-white-green and no more naira notes”, one of the IPOB members was heard by YeyeNews.com reporter shouting into a mobile phone held to his ear.
The chairman of Bridgehead market association, the parent body of the markets scattered all around both sides of the expressway way on the Onitsha side, told YeyeNews.com reporter that millions of naira had been thrown into the river: “They have been emptying bags of money into this river for almost three hours now. They have now noticed that people are in the river taking the money to the other side. So some are contemplating burning the rest of the cash. They are in that filling station trying to barter their phones for petrol since they have vowed never to spend naira in Biafra land.”
“I just exchanged by Samsung Galaxy phone for this 20litres petrol. I don’t care about that phone. I will buy a better one once our Biafran currency is out. For now burning the zoo money is my goal”, one of the agitators was heard by YeyeNews.com reporter saying as he stormed out of the fuel station.
As this event was unfolding, there was celebration galore at the Asaba end of the bridge as people were seen wading out of the river with wads of cash in their hands and some used polythene bags to stuff them. According to report YeyeNews.com gathered afterwards, some, who knew what was going on at the Onitsha end, were heard singing praises to “Mammy Water”, water goddess, for the early morning blessings. “I prayed to ezenwanyi (water goddess) last night and she has blessed me today beyond my expectations. May she continue to direct IPOB here. Iseeee (Amen)”, one man who stepped out of the river with money was said to have said to onlookers.
