Some members of the pro-Biafra Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have been detained by police in Anambra State.
In a news release made accessible to journalists, the group said that police had detained some of its members, including Beka Udemefuna, 66, and Mr. Amauche Ode, 53.
The portraits of the group’s leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, and Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, according to the claim, were also taken by the police.
Chief Chris Mocha, Senior Special Assistant to BIM-MASSOB leader, announced in a news release that BIM-MASSOB property, including more than 16 plastic seats, had been stolen.
The victims were reportedly transported to the Criminal Investigations Department CID annex at Awkuzu while the arrest reportedly took place on Tuesday at the regional office of the organisation along the Awkuzu-Otuocha route in Ifitedunu, in the Dunukofia council area.
The statement read in part,
“The members of BIM-MASSOB were seated in the office at Ifitedunu when the heavily armed policemen numbering over five arrived at the office in the evening and shot sporadically into the air which led people living around the area to scamper for their safety.
“The arrested members were handcuffed, Ojukwu and Uwazuruike’s enlargement photographs and 16 plastic chairs were taken away to Awkuzu, Anambra State”
The group said that its members were extremely peaceful and posed no threat to the state’s security while calling for the release of the men who had been detained.
When reached, Tochukwu Ikenga, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), the state police PPRO, declined to corroborate the occurrence and instead just responded, “Thank you for the information.”