The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has called on the police to release its members arrested on Friday in Imo State.
MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Sunday Okereafor, who condemned the mass arrest of the movement’s members, said they did no wrong and did not deserve to be apprehended by the police.
Four persons had been shot when the police operatives clashed with MASSOB members at Orji axis of Owerri, the Imo State capital, while those injured were rushed to the hospital.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Orlando Ikokwu, who confirmed the clash, alleged that MASSOB members attempted to snatch firearms from policemen.
Ikokwu said the MASSOB members also inflicted machete cut injuries on two policemen in the New Owerri area of the state.
But speaking with newsmen on Saturday, Okereafor dismissed Ikokwu’s claim, adding that the police fired at the group’s members without any provocation during a peaceful rally.
The MASSOB spokesman also demanded that the police should pay the medical bills of those injured during the incident, adding that the movement had always maintained its non-violent posture wherever they go.
“It is bad for the Nigeria Police to shoot at and arrest them. IPOB, MASSOB, Zionists have the same ideology; we are not violent. The government knows that we are not violent. Those arrested are Biafrans; they must be released.
“Police should rather channel their energy to the North-East, North-West and North-Central and fight Boko Haram. It was the Nigeria Police that attacked them. We are telling the Nigeria Police to release them.
“They have been killing us; the police should also pay the medical bills of MASSOB members that were injured,” Okereafor said.
