Founder of the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra and Biafra Independence Movement (BIM-MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has faulted an alleged raid on the group’s office at Umuneke Ohuba village, Ubomiri in Mbaitoli local government area of Imo State.
In a release issued on his behalf by the group’s director of information, Elder Chris Mocha, Uwazuruike disclosed that the police officers were looking for the members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the secretariat of MASSOB without proper investigation.
Uwazuruike, who condemned the said raid and describing it as unnecessary, wondered why the policemen drafted from Mbaitoli divisional headquarters, Nworieubi could rely on mere hearsay to perform their action rather than act based on intelligence.
“The allegation is just giving a dog a bad name in other to hang it,” the statement added.
The release stated that a leader of the group in Owerri Zone, Chief Samuel Njoku had reported how policemen raided the Owerri zonal Secretariat located at Umuneke Ohuba village, Ubomiri on the allegation that IPOB members were using the place for their meeting.
Uwazuruike said, “IPOB was classified as a terrorist organisation by the federal government of Nigeria because of its violent approach to the agitation for Biafra. But BIM- MASSOB and IPOB have nothing in common”.
He said the police acted based on a false security report and recalled how soldiers from Obinze arrested nine of his members and feed them after confirming their membership of BIM – MASSOB.
“We had expected the policemen from Mbaitoli divisional headquarters to tow the same line of action by not raiding the office knowing that IPOB has no existing structure in South East,” Uwazuruike insisted.
The spokesman of the Imo State Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu could not respond to the allegation as his phone rang out without any response while a text message sent to his phone was not responded to.
