Supporters of a pro-Biafra separatist movement have been allegedly "shot dead" in Nigeria during a rally in support of US incoming President Donald Trump. Activists from the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), which calls for a breakaway from Nigeria, were allegedly killed during clashes with police in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers state.

More on pro-Biafra movement

It is not yet clear how many people have been killed and injured but social media and the BBC are reporting the clashes.

A spokesperson for the police could not be reached for comments.

This is not the first time that Nigerian forces have been accused of violence against pro-Biafra protesters.

Last year, rights group Amnesty International accused Nigerian security forces of killing around 150 people calling for the independence of Biafra.

The army denied the allegations, claiming it intervened to prevent "ethnic clashes" and accused Amnesty of trying to tarnish its image.

The Biafran territories were forcibly annexed to present-day Nigeria during British colonisation, which ended in 1960.

A Biafran Republic was established in 1967 but re-annexed to Nigeria in 1970, following a bloody civil war that claimed millions of lives.

Independence calls have gained renewed momentum following the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, one of the leaders of the movement, in October 2015. Kanu, Ipob leader and director of UK-based Radio Biafra, is currently standing trial on six counts of treasonable felony charges.

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