Why soldiers killed our men –MASSOB – Gives army 48 hours to release other members

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Latest Politics Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Fresh facts emerged yesterday on what led to the killing of three members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) by soldiers in the commercial city of Onitsha on Sunday evening.

Addressing journalists yesterday on the development, the MASSOB Director of Information, Mr. Uchenna Madu, said the major cause of the killing of their members by the army was not unconnected to the arrest of a dealer of Indian hemp suspected to be an agent of the army by the members of MASSOB.

He said his members had earlier arrested a man who was dealing on Indian hemp whom they handed over to the Police Division at Okpoko but the army invaded the police station and set the suspect free.
“MASSOB members arrested one man with heavy Indian hemp, they handed him over to the police at Okpoko Police Division but the soldiers invaded the police and set the suspect free,” he said.
Madu stated that the army had provoked MASSOB members through their unwarranted killings and detention, warning that, “if the ultimatum was not heeded, the army and the Nigerian state will see the violent side of MASSOB.”
The visibly agitated Madu maintained that the non-violent posture of MASSOB had been mistaken for weakness and cowardice by security operatives, “who now derive joy in the killing and intimidation of unarmed MASSOB members.”

According to him, “the current security challenges the country is grappling with as a result of the Boko Haram menace will be a child’s play at the expiration of our ultimatum. We will declare war against the army except our members that are currently in detention in different military facilities and police cells in Anambra State and entire South-east are released unconditionally.”

Corroborating MASSOB’s stance, the newly crowned “Ogirisi-Igbo (defender of the Igbos), Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, said MASSOB members who were killed by the army in Onitsha were on their way to a meeting to finetune arrangements for the burial of the late Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Describing the incident as provocative, the Igbo leader warned that the actions of the army, which he said were a systematic clampdown of Igbo youths, would have dire consequences if allowed to continue.
“We have endured the killing of Ndigbo in the North without reprisal attacks in the East. But we are being pushed to the wall by the army in our own land. What have they done to the Boko Haram sect who are known enemies of the state. We are waiting to see what government will do, otherwise, we may resort to self-defense,” he said.
Meanwhile, all efforts to contact the army through their 82 Division, Enugu, proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.

-Sunwp_posts