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The leadership of the Biafra Independence Movement and Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has reported a purported police raid on their regional office situated along Awkuzu/Otuocha Road in Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area, Anambra State.
Police reportedly took down images of the late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and Chief Raph Uwazuruike, and carried away 16 plastic chairs as well as official documents, according to the group.
Chris Mocha, the Senior Special Assistant to BIM-MASSOB for Media and Publicity, shared this information in a press statement published on Wednesday. The statement further clarified that the police operation occurred on the same day.
Mocha’s statement revealed that the police detained an 87-year-old group member, Chief Sylvester Dinyelu, along with Chief Beka Udemefuna, aged 66, and Amauche Ode, aged 53.
Additionally, he claimed that the pro-Biafra movement’s arrested individuals were transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) annex situated in Awkuzu.
Read also: Marginalisation: Nigeria Is Sitting On A Time Bomb – MASSOB
The statement read, ‘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 to their safety.’
‘The arrested members were handcuffed, late Dim Emeka Ojukwu and Chief Ralph Uwazuruike’s enlargement photographs, 16 plastic chairs, and a register belonging to the region were recovered and taken away to the former special anti-robbery squad, Awkuzu, Anambra state.’
‘The non-violence group demands for their immediate release from the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department, Annex, Awkuzu, or to bring them to court if they committed any offence.’
‘The arrested members are very peaceful people having belonged to Chief Ralph Uwazuruike’s BIM-MASSOB that have not constituted a security risk to the state.’
When reached to confirm the development, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said, ‘Thank you for the information.’
However, a senior police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, corroborated the development.
According to the source, the command was determined not to tolerate any of these groups engaging in unwarranted acts of terror in the state.
As per the senior officer, the police remained committed to tracking down those involved in destabilising Anambra and making it ungovernable.
