₦airaland Forum

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), on Saturday, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of its three principal officers who were currently being detained at the Anambra State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) headquarters, Awkuzu, by the state command.

This was contained in a press statement issued in Onitsha MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Comrade Uchenna Madu, identified the three principal officers under the police custody as Mr Osondu Okwareke (Regional Administrator for Onitsha 3); Mr. Omenka (Regional Administrator for Onitsha 1) and Mazi Chris Mocha (National Deputy Director of Information).

According to the statement, the detained principal officers had gone to the Divisional Police Station, Fegge, Onitsha on Thursday, November 1, to hand over a member of confusionist group called Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM) to the police because of their proposed November 5 declaration of Biafra; which MASSOB viewed as making caricature of Biafra struggle and a dent to the image of the struggle.

The statement further noted that MASSOB, as the pioneer organisation and champion of Biafra struggle is not against any genuine group clamouring for Biafra.It noted that any Biafra pressure, agitations and protest is a compliment to MASSOB’s 13 years of consistency, uncompromised and unshakable spirit of Biafra struggle, adding that on the other hand, MASSOB will not support or accommodate gambling or making cheap popularity with Biafra struggle by any group.

THE Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM), a group that has been threatening to enforce the secession of the South-East, has again stated that it will declare an independent Biafra state on Monday.

Leader of BZM, Benjamin Onwuka, had said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna, on Saturday, that on Monday, the group would declare the South-East as the state of Biafra.The group, while making the declaration, also accused chieftains of Movement for the Actualisation of the State of Biafra (MASSOB) of kidnapping and torturing its members, insisting that nothing would deter it from achieving its aim.

However, the national publicity secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, told Sunday Tribune that his organisation met with the leadership of Ohanaeze recently on how best to strengthen and move the nation forward.“The ensuing communiqué emphasised the commitment by the two groups to a united strong Nigeria.

Towards that end, the duo resolved to keep the channel of communication open. So, for any other Igbo group to come from nowhere and start to hanker for secession may be understood but not forgiven,” he said.