Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, (MASSOB), has given the Nigeria Police a-three-day ultimatum to release all its members detained across the country. According to the movement’s National Director of Transport, Mr. Kenneth Okwudili, MASSOB cannot continue to tolerate the continuous arrest and detention of its members, adding that failure to release its members by the Police would push the movement into eight days peaceful demonstration throughout the length and breadth of Biafra land.
He said the move was to once again let the world know of the injustice meted out to MASSOB members by the Nigerian government. This is coming after some members of the movement were allegedly arrested recently over the use of MASSOB plate number in the South-East zone. The plate numbers were said to be illegal, and there had been clampdown on violators over two months now.
One of such MASSOB members, Oke Onyemaechi from Okutu, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, told our reporter that he saw hell when he was arrested by some policemen some weeks ago.
In his words: “I bought my MASSOB plate number about three months ago as all our members are already using it. I have been using the plate number until June 15, when Anti-Robbery squad arrested me along Okutu/Ibagwa road.
“They took me to Nsukka urban police divisional headquarters and asked me to bring the original particulars of the motorbike, which I did. After providing all those particulars they asked me to remove the MASSOB plate number and replace it with Nigerian plate number before they could release my motorbike.”
Mr. Okwudili lamented that the Nigeria Police were violating the fundamental human rights of the MASSOB members. “The Police told us that we are not supposed to use the plate number because Biafra is not yet a country. I am of the opinion that this incessant arrest of our members over plate number is being masterminded by politicians, who know that their existence or stay in office is endangered by the actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra.”
Another MASSOB member, Mr. Christopher Ude, a commercial motorbike rider from Afa, Udi area of the state, told Daily Sun that he was also arrested by the Police for using the plate number.
However, when our reporter visited the Nsukka Urban Divisional Police Officer, Mr. James Nwokolo to comment on the issue, he was said to have gone to Enugu, but a senior police officer, who pleaded anonymity confirmed the issue, explaining that the matter was still under investigation.
