Militants hijack merchant ship, threaten to blow it up if Biafra leader is not freed within 31 days

Dimeji Akinloye 17:22 - 02 February 2016

Nnamdi Kanu, director of the banned Radio Biafra, was detained by secret police on 17 October and accused of terrorism.

A militant identified as nom de guerre of Gen Ben was said to given the Federal Government the 31 days ultimatum over the weekend.

Militants have reportedly hijacked an unidentified merchant ship, with foreign crew on board, and threatened to blow it up if the detained Biafra leader,

According to The Guardian, which quoted military sources, the vessel was taken on Friday, January 29, and the navy is said to be pursuing it.

Kanu, who was detained by the Department of State Service (DSS) on October 17, was accused of terrorism over his agitation for a breakaway state of Biafra, and for inciting violence with Radio Biafra, which he founded.

READ: ‘DSS is planning to secretly execute Nnamdi Kanu,’ IPOB alleges

Although, report said a leader of a Biafran separatist movement, Uchena Madu, said Ben was not a separatist but “some Niger Delta militants have shown interest in working with us”.

With the hijacking, it is believed that the Biafra agitators could be working with Niger Delta militants, who had recently carried out multiple bombings on oil pipelines in the oil-rich south.