Ahead of the annual Ojukwu Memorial Celebration by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the police have begun a clampdown on members of the group.
The policemen said to be from the state CID arrived at the annex housing the Ojukwu Memorial Library in more than 10 Hilux vans. Work was ongoing at the facility in preparation for the memorial celebration.
A member of MASSOB, who pleaded anonymity, told Daily Sun that the policemen condoned off the house of their leader and the Ojukwu Library, as they arrested all their members on duty.
The source said the policemen contemplated breaking into Uwazuruike's house, but were dissuaded by their team leader, who said he had information that the MASSOB leader was not at home.
Uwazuruike recently willed all his property to MASSOB, which fixed the staging of the Ojukwu Memorial Celebration for November 26.
Assistant National Director of Information of MASSOB, Mr. Sunny Okoroafor, however alleged that the mission of the police was to assassinate Uwazurike in order to instigate crisis in the zone. He wondered why armed policemen stormed the house of their leader at 1:45a.m, if not to kill him.
"The mission of the Nigeria police who stormed the house of Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of MASSOB at 1:45a. heavily armed was just to assassinate him in order to make the South East ungovernable, which the Nigerian government will use as an excuse to invade the South East.
"Armed policemen rounded up our members and also seized about 70 walkie-talkies of those on duty, but no amount of intimidation from the Nigerian authorities can make us abandon the struggle for the actualisation of the Biafra nation," Okoroafor said.
The MASSOB spokesman demanded the immediate release of the detained members, warning the government not to push the movement to the wall.
Contacted, Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr . Taiwo Lakanu said the police only arrested five members of the group who were protesting and chanting anti-government songs.
The police boss equally denied seizing over 70 walkie-talkies from those arrested, stating that nothing was taken from the five members arrested by his men.
"You know that Uwazuruike and his movement thrive on propaganda. We arrested only five members,who were protesting and chanting inciting songs against the Nigerian government. But if he claims that 50 of his members were arrested, I challenge him to mention their names. Again, it was a blatant lie that the police had seized about 70 walkie-talkies from those arrested, and I can tell you categorically that nothing was taken from them, so it was all a lie," the CP said.
A source, however said the arrested members of the group would be taken to Police Zone 9, Umuahia, Abia State, from where they would be transferred to Abuja.
The Imo CP has already written to Uwazuruike, inviting him to appear before him. The MASSOB leader, was however, said to have travelled out of town.
Meanwhile, Anambra State chapter of MASSOB yesterday threatened fire for fire over plans to arrest Uwazurike.
Addressing newsmen in Onitsha yesterday on the raid on the MASSOB leader's residence in Imo State, the three MASSOB coordinators in Anambra State, Emmanuel Omenka, Anambra North; Vincent Iloh, Anambra Central and Mrs Virginia Ubazuonu raised the alarm over the where-abouts of Uwazurike since the raid took place.
Omenka, said: "When they stormed the Freedom House, they (police) arrested our members and took them to Umuahia and since then we have not seen our leader"
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