. abhors seizure of Ojukwu, Uwazuruike’s enlarged portraits
By Chunks Eke
The Leadership of Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, and Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, BIM/MASSOB, has called on the police authorities in Anambra state to effect immediate release of their three members arrested recently by police operatives in the state while in a meeting.
They also described as unlawful and unwarranted the seizure of the late Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and Chief Ralph Uwazuruike’s enlarged portraits, as well as 16 plastic chairs and a register belonging to the organization.
In a press issued to newsmen yesterday,
BIM/MASSOB’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mazi Chris Anierobi Mocha disclosed that the heavily armed police operatives had swooped on their members at their Regional office located Ifitedunu in Dunukofia local government area of the state, along the Awkuzu/Otuocha road, while in a meeting and allegedly whisked them off to the former Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS ,Awkuzu, Anambra state, now the state Criminal Investigations Department, CID Annex where be were believed to have been currently detained.
The statement identified 87 year old Chief Sylvester Dinyelu, a Biafran civil war veteran; 66year old Chief Peter Ibeka Udemefuna and 53 year old Mr. Amauche Ode as some of BIM/MASSOB members whisked off during the police raid.
The BIM-MASSOB added that the trio and others were seated in the office at Ifitedunu when the operatives numbering over five arrived the office in the evening, shot sporadically into the air which led to the residents of the area scampering for safety, before the were arrested and whisked off with those items earlier mentioned.
According to the statement, “The arrested members were handcuffed, Late Dim Emeka Ojukwu and Chief Ralph Uwazuruike’s enlargement photographs, 16 plastic chairs and a register belonging to the region were recovered and taken away to the former Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS,Awkuzu, Anambra state”.
“BIM/MASSOB is a Non-violence group and while demanding for their immediate release from the custody of CID, Annex, Awkuzu, or to bring them to court if they feel that they committed any offence, we must emphasize that the arrested members are very peaceful people having belonged to Chief Ralph Uwazuruike’s BIM-MASSOB that have not constituted a security risk to the State”.