Nnaya Eziyi, Umuahia
Members of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Ingenious Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Umuahia have told the Nigerian Police, Abia State Command to guard its utterances about their organizations.
Different members of the groups stated this while reacting to a statement by the commissioner of the command, which was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Geoffrey Ogbonna and made available to Thisage in Umuahia, the state capital.
They accused the Commissioner, Mr. Leye Oyebade, who they said has a hidden agenda for them, of attempting to provoke crisis in the state by insinuating that their groups were planning a demonstrations in the state.
This is coming ahead of the reported intention of members of such groups to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the botched secession and declaration of the defunct Eastern Nigeria as Republic Biafra by the people of the region.
In the statement with Ref No AZ:5650/ABS/PPRD/VOL.12/359 the commissioner said “It is naturally expected nobody should take laws into his/her own hands as to coarse other law abiding citizens into demonstration under any guise
The four-paragraphed statement dated 23rd May, 2017 had enjoined all law abiding and peace loving citizens of the state and residents to go about their lawful businesses without fear of molestations from any quarters.
Members of the group pointed out with anger the portion of the statement which said “Specifically, IPOB, MASSOB and other associations thinking along that line are better warned because doing otherwise shall be met with the full weight of the law.”
Mr. Cosmas Akpulonu told our correspondent that the statement surprised him, adding that the commissioner was only trying to give a dog a bad name to hang.
According to him, they as citizens of this country have it as their undeniable fundamental human right of movement to associate and express themselves as long as such actions are within the ambits of the law.
Akpulonu argued that the statement was not provocative, but also a tactical move by the command to justly arrest of their members “even if they were in beer parlours or television viewing centers discussing their private matters.”
Similarly, an ex-Biafran staff sergeant, Dee Onu Ubani, condemned and described the statement as uncalled for, asked the commissioner to disclose those behind any demonstrations or plans to disrupt peace in the state in public interest.
The septuagenarian, who accused the command of chasing shadow in the face of security challenges such as kidnapping, armed robbery and car-snatching, carpeted the command for allegedly failing to rise up to Fulani herdsmen menace in the state.
“Unknown to most of us is that the command is playing a script by their masters to criminalize our people in the eyes of the world and to allow the herdsmen and their cattle to overrun and pollute our land and streams to impoverish us,” he noted.
Also, Aloy Joycee, who did not disclose the group she belonged, spoke passionately about their hope of actualizing their dream of a country of their owner, “after 50 years of relentless struggle so separate us from Nigeria.”
She warned her follow agitators to be mindful of their utterances and movements to avoid falling into the command’s plan to arrest them, adding that if they were need for them to engage in any demonstrations, they will do it peacefully.
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