Treason: MASSOB dares FG

By VINCENT UJUMADU

AWKA — THE Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has threatened to make the country ungovernable if the Federal Government made good its threat to try its leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, and five of his colleagues with treason.

Addressing reporters, yesterday, in Onitsha, MASSOB regional administrator for Onitsha North, Mr. Vincent Ilo, said though the group had remained non- violent since it began the campaign for the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra, the decision to try Uwazurike and others showed that the Federal Government had decided to push MASSOB to the wall.

Ilo also spoke on the June 8 sit-at-home order given by MASSOB, expressing the determination of the organisation to effect the order because it was a day set aside to pray and fast for liberation and emancipation of Ndigbo and remember the six Igbo indigenes murdered at Apo Village in Abuja in 2005.

Ilo said:   “As you are aware, six innocent Igbo traders were killed at Apo Village, Abuja, extra-judicially on June 8, 2005, by policemen led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Ibrahim Danjuma. Seven years after the murder of our kinsmen, the principal actor in the said murder is still walking the streets a free man.

“It is imperative that the international community should know our security challenges in Nigeria. It is on this premise that MASSOB requests Ndigbo all over the world to sit at home on Saturday, June 8, to reflect on the continued massacre of our people in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the MASSOB chieftain said that over 20 members of MASSOB were arrested by security agents yesterday in parts of Oyi Local Government Area while having their normal meeting and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to order their unconditional release.

He expressed dismay that Federal Government was negotiating amnesty for Boko Haram members, while it was planning a clampdown on non- violent MASSOB, noting that such an action  could result in total chaos in the country.

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