The protest embarked upon by the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB) on Thursday turned sour in Aba, Abia state, as soldiers rounded up members of the group and beat them up with horse whips.
Trouble started for the MASSOB members when they converged at the Asa/Ngwa Road junction where they planned to take-off to other parts of the city but unknown to them, soldiers numbering over 20 had laid ambushed around the area.
Despite the presence of the soldiers who came in about six Hilux vans, the MASSOB members continued to assemble at the junction but were shortly dispersed by soldiers who started beating them with horse whips.
The MASSOB members later regrouped at another location from where they marched through the major roads of the city’s chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards.
“Jega must go”, “We don’t want him to conduct the next elections”, “Ndigbo have suffered enough in the hands of Nigeria ”,“ Any election conducted by Jega means more suffering for Ndigbo,” some of the placards read.”
The protesters later headed towards St. Michael’s road where most Newspaper houses have their offices in the city, but were intercepted by the soldiers at the St. Michael’s Road/York Street junction.
Speaking on the incident, MASSOB Aba regional administrator, comrade Larry Odinma said the organization’s protest was based on the fact that the INEC chairman, Jega has been biased and cannot deliver a credible election.
Odinma said if their call was not heeded, that MASSOB would not allow elections to be conducted in the South East.
The Regional Administrator threatened that elections would not hold in the South East if Jega is not relieved of his position.
“INEC can conduct elections in other parts of the country, but not in the South East because we are not going to allow that.”
