Tensions escalated on Wednesday night as the Black Marine, the militant arm of the separatist Biafra Nations League (BnL) operating in the Bakassi Peninsula and the Gulf of Guinea, embarked on a rampage to voice their dissent against the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on upland Bakassi in Cross River State by the Nigerian government.
The group’s protest revolved around their demand for the immediate lifting of the curfew and the restoration of unrestricted movement within the area.
Reports indicate that Princewill Chimezie Richards, the pioneering founder of the Biafra Nations League (BnL), issued a stark warning during a live broadcast on Sunrise Daily TV YouTube. He conveyed that if the curfew persisted, his supporters might become increasingly impatient.
The Biafra Nations League emphasized that the continuation of the curfew could potentially exacerbate existing issues in the region.
In a bid to compel compliance with their demands, The Black Marine assumed the role of enforcers, taking measures to ensure that the military adheres to the BnL’s call for an end to the dusk-to-dawn curfew in upland Bakassi, Cross River State.
Local residents recounted that the Black Marine militants entered the area around 3:00 am, discharging gunfire sporadically while heading towards the Ikang Jetty.
Eyewitnesses reported, “Gunshots were heard last night in the vicinity of the Ikang waterways, attributed to suspected militants of the Black Marine, a faction aligned with the Biafran movement.”
The Biafra Nations League has actively propagated the Biafra cause within the Bakassi Peninsula, augmenting the efforts of groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the southeastern cities of Nigeria. As tensions escalate, the situation remains a focal point, reflecting the complex socio-political dynamics at play within the region.
