No fewer than 40 members of Movement for
the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of
Biafra (MASSOB) were yesterday arrested by
the police in Enugu, while marching round
major streets within the metropolis,
protesting the continued detention of their
leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike.
Though the protest was generally peaceful,
an encounter between a combined team of
soldiers and mobile policemen with the
protesting members at College Road, led to
the arrest and detention of over 40 members
of the group.
Regional Administrator of the group, Chief
Ekwe Ikechukwu, alleged that over 50 of the
protesting members were arrested at College
Road and Ogui New Layout, where they
encountered a combined team of the Military
and Mobile Policemen, who had pursued
them in five Hilux vans from Edinburgh
Road.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP
Ebere Amarizu, said he could not confirm the
arrest .The protest, which was staged
simultaneously in Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom,
Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo,
Enugu, Imo and Rivers states, according to
the MASSOB leadership, was intended to
compel the federal and Imo State
governments to facilitate immediate release
of Uwazurike. The protesters who marched
with placards, rendering popular Biafran war
songs to the admiration of onlookers, were,
however, peaceful, as security agents were
virtually off the streets while the protest
march was on.
Hundreds of activists of the Movement for
the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of
Biafra (MASSOB) yesterday stormed the major
streets of Umuahia protesting the continued
detention of their leader, Chief Ralph
Uwazurike.
But despite the peaceful nature of the
protest, the police still swooped on some
members of the movement at the take-off
point of the protest march on Owerri Street
and arrested 10 of them, mostly the elderly
ones, who were waiting for their colleagues
to return from the protest march to round
off the protest.
Police public relations officer (PPRO) of Abia
Command, Ali Okechukwu, confirmed the
arrest of the MASSOB activists, saying there
was no record to show that they applied for
permit to hold their protest rally.
The MASSOB leader was arrested in January
for allegedly kidnapping one Pascal Okorie, a
former representative of MASSOB in London
with the police preferring a case of
“conspiracy, kidnapping, false imprisonment
and assault against Uwazurike.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=168334

And this is a peaceful group. Does Nigeria want to make the Igbo violent as the Niger Deltans, because no group has a monopoly on violence.

EzeUche:

And this is a peaceful group. Does Nigeria want to make the Igbo violent as the Niger Deltans, because no group has a monopoly on violence.

the best comment heard so far on the self determination struggle. pls, tell them loud and clear

Useless Nigerian Police! Those fuk.tards won't go and prevent massacres by marauding murderers in Northern Nigeria but will go about arresting a peaceful organization. Absolute uselessness!

why arrest them if it was peaceful, while the demons who perpetrated the jos genocide are at large, imagine how secure we are in Nigeria with our police

Nigerian Police takes unnecessary pride in arresting defenceless people and MOSSOB members.

Maybe they arrested them because they no fit give them bribe

Why are they so good at trying and even imprisoning MASSOB people for treason, [size=14pt]yet they never try religious rioters in the North?[/size]

and the state governors say what, aren't they their brothers?
and they'd still need their mandates to cling to the seats power

~Bluetooth:


Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP
Ebere Amarizu, said he could not confirm the
arrest .The protest, which was staged
simultaneously in Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom,
Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo,
Enugu, Imo and Rivers states, according to
the MASSOB leadership, was intended to
compel the federal and Imo State
governments to facilitate immediate release
of Uwazurike. The protesters who marched
with placards, rendering popular Biafran war
songs to the admiration of onlookers, were,
however, peaceful, as security agents were
virtually off the streets while the protest
march was on.

The truth is that MASSOB is gradually expanding - a very smart strategy. Their peaceful method remains unbeatable. Nigeria loves violence and has been expecting violence from MASSOB. Nothing is more powerful than ideas. If more people continue to buy into MASSOB's manifesto, the vehicle for the liberation of the oppressed will emerge before we can say jack robinson.
MASSOB is more credible than Save Nigeria Group because these guys are actually getting thrown into jails and in some instances killed; while the SNG is busy singing songs and carrying placards without ruffling feathers. Two different organizations, two different ideas. May the better idea win!

If the alleged peaceful demonstrated by MASSOB actually happened in the following states such as Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Imo and Rivers state, I will say that certain people in southern Nigeria have awoken from deep political slumber.

yeye police. they will nt see the riot in JOS even when preinformed.

I said it before, they arrest and molest defenseless citizens but let murderers run free. COWARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear All,

The Nigerian Police is more likely to run for his life in an event of a violent protest. The only place they can show "power" is if the protesters are almless and peaceful.

Yet, me thinks that it is time Nigeria which is long dead is bureid for good.

Positive Activism i like. The dumb as olopa arrest people who have not raised an arm against anyone but fail to prevent death of travellers from armed robbers. This is the only way to do this thing too much talking and talks about more talks is making one sick and tired. People want emancipation from backwardness and It's inevitable that it will come about one way or the other.

If only the Nigerian Police knows how far MASSOB has gone and how large they are in number, they'll stop wasting their already wasted time.
MASSOB tactics is non-violence and that's why they are spreading , even if they kill Uwazuruike, the movement continues.
In less than no time, they'll obtain what others have been fighting for with arms quietly ;So quietly that Nigeria and Nigerians will be shocked.
Just keep a date.

as a good citizen of Biafra (Massob) i did not fully agreed with peaceful movement, but is okay we all have abide to what the movement said, but remember about apartheid, unless we want to be second Tibet peoples china, while  their people suffering in Asia, we need strong leadership in (Massob) wicked Nigerian government and it allied include useless police will not allow pace to reign unless pieces, i was born in 1975, but reed  history been in South African system now let me understood some few thing, I said strong push is needed, as  we can not be another Tibet American government visit every new government while our people perishes

Mbeki:

If only the Nigerian Police knows how far MASSOB has gone and how large they are in number, they'll stop wasting their already wasted time.
MASSOB tactics is non-violence and that's why they are spreading , even if they kill Uwazuruike, the movement continues.
In less than no time, they'll obtain what others have been fighting for with arms quietly ;So quietly that Nigeria and Nigerians will be shocked.
Just keep a date.

True talk bro

I follow all MASSOB News in one place - www.massobnews.com - because there is information coming from everywhere:
http://massobnews.com/

Well, they say that a child that does not want his father to sleep, will not sleep either.

Nigeria does not want the easterners to sleep, let us see if they will sleep.

Nigeria does not want the easterners to sleep, let us see if they will sleep

face it . . . we are sliding to an islamic state very soon. You can hide your head in the sand all you want.

[size=16pt]22 MASSOB Members To Appear In Court [/size]

Twenty-two members of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) including a 68-year-old woman, who were arrested in Asaba, Delta State on Wednesday, are to be arraigned in court.

The members, drawn from various parts of the Eastern States, including Akwa-Ibom and Delta, were arrested by the police for demonstration in Okwe area of the state capital.
Parading the suspects in Asaba on Thursday , the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Simeon Midenda, said the members would be charged with inciting disturbances and belonging to a proscribed group.

According to the Deputy Commissioner, they came to Asaba in a dark green Mitsubishi bus with registration number XA456AKU to demonstrate against anti MASSOB actions.

The group, 22 males including an 11-year-old boy and the only female, Madam Adanne Otete, carried placards with different inscriptions like “Stop killing our people in the North,” “Free Uwazurike our leader, he is a freedom fighter,”and “We are Biafrans marching to our freedom.”

Some of the suspects, who spoke in an interview, claimed that they came to Asaba from Onitsha in Anambra State to refuel their vehicles before they were arrested.

But 27-year-old Clement Igwe said they were nabbed on the way to their camp at Omerigbone in Asaba, adding ”we are not Nigerians; we are Biafrans. We have our currency and coat of arm.”

Commercial activities in Onitsha were paralysed on Wednesday when over 2,000 MASSOB members took to the streets protesting the arrest of their leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike.

http://tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/news/573-22-massob-members-to-appear-in-court-.html

is it 60 or 40 arrests - cant give this story any credibility.