There was tension in the South-East, Saturday, following the threat by the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to resume their lock-down of the region with protests from Monday over the continued detention of Radio Biafra Director Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu, who was arrested by the Department of State Service (DSS) on October 17, 2015, on arrival from UK, has been in DSS detention facility in Abuja even though the Magistrate Court, Wuse 11, and Federal High Court, Abuja Division had both granted him bail and ordered his release.
The two organisations had suspended their street protests on December 9, last year, after about one month of disruptive protests for the same reason. In their joint resolution than by National Secretary (MASSOB) Ugwuoke Ibem and Spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, they said: “We have decided to halt our demonstrations, protests to pave way for the much-published dialogue on Nnamdi Kanu’s release. Our withdrawal from the major cities of Biafraland is not out of cowardice but to prove maturity, professionalism as a decent self-determined group.
“We hereby issue an ultimatum to the Federal Government to prove its seriousness and sincerity on the much-published dialogue on the release of Nnamdi Kanu. We shall continue with our non-violent self-determination on Biafra. MASSOB, IPOB will never relent or backside on the agitation for Biafra actualization.”
On December 3, the joint military task force opened fire at protesting members of IPOB and MASSOB, killing nine people and injuring 18. Five people were killed at Niger Bridge Head while three were killed at Obodoukwu Road. A suya seller was also said to have been hit by a stray bullet and he died instantly.
However, on Saturday, in their joint statement by MASSOB National Director of Information Samuel Edeson and IPOB Secretary Ibem Ugwuoke Ibem, the pro-Biafra groups warned the public to stay at home from Monday as there will be massive civil disobedience, protests and demonstrations in the South-East and parts of the South-South to force the Federal Government to comply with the court orders.
In the meantime, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has ordered security operatives to arrest any pro-Biafra element flouting the ban against secessionist protests in any part of the state.
The governor, who gave the order in a statement by his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George Saturday, said government will not tolerate any form of pro-Biafra protest in any part of Rivers.
Tam-George said the governor had to reiterate the ban on pro-Biafra protests in the state following reports that some agitators were embarking on illegal separatist processions and demonstrations in parts of Oyigbo local government area.
-Vanguard
