On 23 December 2015, many Igbos returning home for Christmas celebrations from the western part of the country were detained and molested on the Onitsha Niger River Bridge for several hours by soldiers conducting stop and search operations.
[11][12][13][14] The local media, citing eye witness reports, claimed that 40 people were killed, while over 50 pro-Biafra members were arrested in the commercial city of Onitsha during the protests.
[11][12] The incident, according to one of the eyewitnesses, began at about 3 a.m. when security forces invaded the premises of a Catholic church in Nkpor Agu, near Onitsha, where pro-Biafrans were camped and allegedly opened fire.
[15] A statement released by the Nigerian Army claimed it attacked the activists "due to the widespread panic, tension and apprehension generated from the activities of the MASSOB and IPOB members.
[22] A report by Amnesty International also accuses the Nigerian military of killing at least 17 unarmed Biafran separatists in the city of Onitsha prior to a march on 30 May 2016 commemorating the 49th anniversary of the initial secession of Biafra.
[24] Reacting to the Biafran Day killings, the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, lamented that "in a democracy people should be entitled to speak their minds and to assemble under responsible circumstances."