Ralph Uwazuruike, the Movement’s founder and leader for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), has charged that four of his security guards were abducted by the military.
Uwazuruike claimed that on Sunday night, armed men broke into his rural home in Imo State’s Onuimo Local Government and kidnapped the security guards.
“Some Nigerian soldiers stormed my Okwe country home and abducted four of my security details guarding MASSOB Freedom House in Onuimo Local Government,” according to a statement released by Chris Mocha, Director of Information for Uwazuruike.
“No provocation led to the abduction and no explanation was offered by the soldiers.”
Uwazuruike appealed to the Commander of 32 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, near Owerri, to ensure release of his security men.
The Biafra agitator said members of BIM-MASSOB had never been indicted or found wanton by security reports, “because of the peaceful approach to our agitation for Biafra.”
Uwazuruike added:
“The soldiers arrived at Freedom House in a Navy blue Sienna car sighted the MASSOB security men in front of the gate to the MASSOB Freedom House. The five soldiers walked straight to my security men and started flogging them without any explanation or provocation.
“The soldiers, after beating my members, blindfolded them with clothes and whisked them away to an unknown destination.”
Reacting, the Army spokesman, Joseph Akubo said soldiers don’t kidnap but only arrest men of questionable character.
He, however, said other sister security agencies, such as Navy and Air Force wear army uniforms.
“You should also know that Navy and Air Force wear the same uniform like that of the army,” Akubo said.