On 8 March 2014, members of the militant group Biafra Zionist Federation took control of the state house for about four hours and erected the flag of Biafra at the entrance of the house. The leader of the group Barrister Benjamin Onwuka gave Nigerians living in Biafran territory an ultimatum to vacate their land before 31 March 2014 or face the bloodbath that will come afterward.
It was initially reported that the pro-Biafra militant group MASSOB was responsible for the attack, but this was later discarded after BZF claimed responsibility for the attack. Benjamin Onwuka was arrested by the Nigeria Police Force after attempting to carry out a similar attack on Enugu State Broadcasting Service.