By Vincent Ujumadu & Chimaobi Nwaiwu

The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hassan Karma yesterday in Onitsha accused the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB of breeding criminals even as the command paraded 43 MASSOB members in Awka.  The police Commissioner also  proclaimed ban on the  police in the state from following revenue agents and collectors in the name of security.

He warned people who are fond of using the police in achieving their selfish ends in civil matter to desist from doing so and to “keep police out of civil matter as it is not part of their job. Any body who has a civil matter to sort out should go to court.”

Most members of the movement paraded were workers on building construction sites, traders and motor park operators.

The commissioner observed that there had been increase on the rate of assault on innocent people in the state in recent times by members of the group, alleging that most of those attacked were dispossessed of their personal effects such as  cash, mobile phones, hand bags, among other things.

According to him, members of the movement were arrogating to themselves so much authority as if they were acting on government’s directives and made it clear that the group did not have the backing of the law, or that of government to engage in such activities.

Mr. Karma also disclosed that the police will not give the MASSOB any opportunity to operate in the state because they are breeding criminals who will go into kidnapping and armed robbery.

Speaking during his visit to the Police Area Command, Onitsha; Central Police Station, Inland Town Police Division, Fegge Divisional Police, all in Onitsha, the Police Commissioner said that over 50 members of MASSOB who were arrested  on Sunday  have been moved to Police Zonal Command Umuahia, popularly known as Zone 9.

He said that 27 of them were arrested in a church in Okpoko where they allegedly held a Catholic priest hostage to pray for them, while 28 were arrested in Nnewi.