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.

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

what effect will this have on the election?....