A pro-Biafran group, the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF) has declared the secession of the “Republic of Biafra” from Nigeria.

According to a statement released by Mr. Benjamin Onuwka, the leader of the group at a press briefing held at the Enugu State secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the secession  takes effect from today, Tuesday, August 1, 2017.

Onwuka, who has declared himself as the “Interim President” of the new nation, also named members of his interim cabinet of ministers and other top government officials drawn from different geo-political regions of the country which he said were Biafran territories.

Topping the list of Onwuka’s cabinet members was Prof. Pat Utomi, a renowned economist, as the foreign minister; former Central Bank Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as the Governor of the Central Bank of Biafra while Ms Arunma Oteh, a former Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission is to head the Finance Ministry.

He also named the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo as the Biafran Ambassador to the United States and Prof. Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information who hails from Niger State as the Minister of Transport.

Other key appointments as announced by Onwuka include Mr. Labaran Maku, a former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State and Minister of Information who was given the portfolio of Minister of Aviation, Amarachi Ubani, Information, Gabriel Oluwole Osagie, Education; Mrs. Mary Okafor, Trade and Industry; Benny Lar from Plateau State, Secretary to the Government of the Republic of Biafra, Philip Effiong Jnr, Health while Prof. Barth Nnaji, a former Minister of Power was named as the Energy Minister.

It was not clear if Onwuka, who was arrested on June 5, 2014 in a failed bid to hijack the studio of the Enugu State Broadcasting Service consulted with his “appointees” before reeling out the names which left journalists at the press conference laughing.