The recent recovery of corpse at the Ezu River in the Amansea town of Anambra State appear to continue to steer more questions and answers – as more corpses are recovered by the residents of the community. This is following the declaration by the Director of Information for the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra [MASSOB], Mr. Uchenna Madu – last week – charging that the recovered corpses were members of MASSOB – who were arrested by a combined team of the army, police and State Security Service men at the MASSOB security office in Onitsha Anambra State on November 9, 2012.
Information recently made available to 247ureports.com through sources within the top ranks of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra [MASSOB] revealed that the claims and or public statements released by persons claiming to be the Director of Information of the MASSOB may have not been released with the knowledge of the leadership of the MASSOB.
It is understood the leadership within the MASSOB may have become panicked over the hoopla resulting from the claim – largely due to the posture/demeanor taken by the security agencies stationed in the State – and the backlash that may result from the charge against the security forces.
Talking to one of the core members of the group, it was made clear that many of their members have been missing while in the custody of Nigerian security forces across the country. “Many of our youths have been killed by policemen while in detention. It is not a new thing” said the source who also added that when MASSOB members are arrested, the treatment meted to them are often different from the treatment meted to other detainees – because of the nature of the group or movement which they represent. He made it clear that legal counsels are often denied their members – and bails are most often denied as well. “Our boys become John Doe in detention“.
The source however noted on a sad note that the group has limited data on the men arrested and detained by the agents of Nigerian security force. The limited data poses difficulty to proper identification of the recovered corpses. He faulted the organizational structure of the group for the limited data – particularly, he pointed blame to the leader of the group, Ralph Uwazurike as responsible culprit for the loose structure.
“The man is only concerned about making money for himself – as our youths are arrested and detained and killed by police officers – he cares about amassing wealth under the guise of an activist movement”, said the source angrily.
“Uwazurike should have settled the boys” – he continued – adding that the leader of MASSOB had been “settled” by the presidency during the period leading up to the burial of General Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu – the head of State of the defunct Biafra Nation.
According to him, the group had begun preparations for a befitting burial following the public announcement of the death of the Biafran leader. “The burial was to be organized by MASSOB and friends of Biafra” – before it became hijacked by the leadership of Nigeria – who had initially showed little interest in playing a role in the burial. He added that once the federal government of Nigeria realized the consequences of leaving the burial preparations to the group [MASSOB], opted to take over the burial arrangements – to avert giving the group an ‘unwanted’ publicity and/or further credibility in the South East.
Through this, the presidency and other involved leaders, beckoned on the leadership of MASSOB to backpedal on their burial arrangement for the Biafran leader. The leadership of MASSOB agreed. And according to our source, the leadership of MASSOB was ‘settled’ and asked to stay away – and maintain a low profile during the burial festivities. Of which, the group obeyed and maintained a low profile.
To date, the group has yet to hold any form of burial rite for the fallen hero.
Concerning the recent charge against the security agents in Anambra State – of killing and dumping their members into the Ezu River – the source reveals that the leadership of MASSOB is unsettled over the actions that maybe taken by the security agents – and for this reason – they are panicked over what actions to take to avert any confrontation with the Nigerian law enforcement – particularly since they do not have convincing proof or evidence of their members arrested and detained by Nigerian security forces. The source states that MASSOB may publicly back away from the claim – of the corpses belonging to MASSOB.
It is recalled that the Director of Information of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu had given the names of the MASSOB corpse as Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwa, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwankpa, Eze Ndubisi, Ebuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Ejiofor – and had indicated that they were arrested at MASSOB security office at Onitsha Anambra State on November 9, 2012, by a combined team of the army, police and State Security Service men and handed over to the State Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters, Awkuzu Anambra State, where they were detained until their disappearance. “Efforts by our counsel to secure their bail from the police proved futile. Our demands for their arraignment before a competent court of law were frustrated by SARS officers. They claimed that the court was not sitting because of Christmas. We got information from an insider at SARS headquarters, Awkuzu, that armless MASSOB members detained at SARS were secretly killed alongside other robbery suspects.”
