Radio Biafra continues broadcast despite Kanu’s arrest

Controversial Radio Biafra continued broadcasting on Monday despite the arrest of the director of the radio, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu was purportedly arrested by the men of the Department of State Services on Saturday when he arrived Lagos from his base in London.

Ardent listeners to the radio told our correspondent that the Internet-based radio continued with its broadcast issuing ultimatum to the Federal Government to release its director within 48 hours or face a revolt.

However, attempt by our correspondent to download the Radio Biafra app from the Internet on Monday failed.

Attempt to speak with broadcast industry regulator failed as calls to the spokesperson for the National Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Awwalu Salihu, in Abuja on Monday, were not picked.

Salihu had, however, told our correspondent in the past that it was difficult to dismantle online broadcasting services because the protocol for doing so was very long.

He had said, “I can confirm to you that they are still broadcasting through the Internet. This is because the protocol for bringing down Internet broadcast is a long one. But the process for bringing it down has started.”

Giving details on the operation of the terrestrial version of the radio station, the NBC spokesperson explained that while the station lasted, it covered major cities in the South-East including Enugu, Owerri, Aba as well as Port Harcourt.

According to him, while the station appropriated a frequency that it was never authorised to use; it also hopped on the frequency of licensed stations when they closed broadcast for the day.

Describing the station as a pirate radio, Salisu added that the broadcast was being treated as a breach of national security.

He, however, could not disclose when the operatives of the station arrested by the DSS would be charged to court.

The Director General of NBC, Mr. Emeka Mbah, had in July announced the confiscation of the terrestrial equipment of the illegal radio station.

Source: PUNCHNG.