MASSOB

FOUR people were feared killed on Monday
when members of the Movement for the
Actualisation of the Sovereign State of
Biafra clashed with a joint team of security
men in Onitsha, Anambra State.
But while MASSOB claimed that the clash
was an attack on its members because of
the decision of the group to withdraw their
support for the All Progressives Grand
Alliance, the police declined comments on
the incident. The Anambra State Police
Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka
Chukwuemeka, said he had not been
officially briefed.
Director of Information of MASSOB, Mr.
Uchenna Madu, who said he was speaking
on behalf of the leader of MASSOB, Chief
Ralph Uwazuruike, said the incident
occurred in the early hours of the day and
that the security team, made up of army,
police and State Security Services personnel,
stormed the MASSOB headquarters along
Onitsha-Owerri Road and allegedly opened
fire on the members.
He said that at the end of the attack, four
persons were felled while about 80 persons
were injured. He said those injured during
the incident were denied medical attention
because they could not produce police
medical permit.
Madu also said that about 18 vehicles
belonging to MASSOB members and traders
at the Mgbuka-Obosi, Old Motor Spare Parts
Obosi, and 137 motorcycles belonging to
MASSOB members were burnt and cash sum
of N920, 000 was taken by the security
agents.
The MASSOB spokesman also said 37
traders in the Old Motor Spare Parts,
Mgbuka, sustained bullet wounds and were
rushed to various hospitals for medical
attention.
He alleged that the clampdown on their
members was masterminded by the state
government which he accused of not being
comfortable with members of the group’s
resolve to announce their preferred
candidate ahead of Saturday governorship
election.
Madu said, “This devilish act of cowardice
meted on MASSOB was not unconnected
with our refusal to allow our name to be
used by some desperate politicians who
wanted to score cheap political goal, using
our platform.
“We had issued a statement distancing
ourselves from supporting APGA and its
candidate ahead of the governorship
election in the state. We are very quite
aware that the stand we took did not go
down well with some highly placed persons
in the state, hence, the attack was to
disorganise us and browbeat us to
submission.
“We hold Peter Obi responsible for the
killings. This reminds us about the 2006
shoot-on-sight order by Governor Peter Obi
who massacred about 2,000 MASSOB
members.
“We shall arrest him and pay him back in
his own coin in our own way immediately
he steps down as the governor because his
recent action of killing MASSOB members
will heavily affect APGA chances of winning
this election.”
The Senior Special Assistant to Obi on Media
and Publicity, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, who
said he was not yet aware of the incident,
wondered why MASSOB was attributing it
to the governor.
“Why are they calling the name of the
governor?” he asked.

www.punchng.com/news/four-killed-in-massob-security-clash/

...gambari pa fulani...ko sejo nbe...