At least 15 businessmen in northern Nigerian were killed on Monday during protests by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), reports BBC.
The businessmen were said to have been killed in Onitsha, a commercial city in the eastern part of the country when security officials clashed with protesting members of the two groups.
The groups were fighting for the sovereignty of the Biafra nation.
They also demanded for the release of the Director of Radio Biafra and leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
Monday's protest was to mark the anniversary of the 1967 declaration of the Republic of Biafra.
AbdulHamid Mohammed, a leading business representative in the town, confirmed the killing of the 15 businessmen.
The killing is believed to be a reprisal attack following the killings of Easterners by Fulani herdsmen in recent weeks.
MASSOB, however, denied any involvement in the killing of the 15.
According to Naij, MASSOB instead has accused the police of shooting and killing 30 of its members and wounding 40 others.
IPOB on its part claimed that over 200 members of the group were injured and more than 400 were arrested during the clash with the Nigerian Army and police.
The Police confirmed the deaths of 10 protesters and two police officers in the incident.
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