Fides Media Living the Faith
By Ikeugonna Eleke
The leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Mr Uchenna Madu, has accused the federal government of sponsoring attacks in Igboland.
The group said this was found out through its intelligence arm and that the aim was to portray the Southeast and the secessionists as turning violent.
In a press statement made available to Fides in Awka and signed by Madu, the group condemned the recent attacks in the zone, while saying that it had nothing to do with the struggle for Biafra.
The release read: “MASSOB condemns the terrorist attack against Chukwuma Soludo at Isuofia, we equally condemn the unwarranted killings of Ebonyi State indigenous citizens by Fulani terrorist herdsmen. MASSOB condemns in totality, the breaking of Owerri Prisons by the so called unknown gunmen.
“Through MASSOB intelligence Agency, we found out that all these attacks are being sponsored and executed by the federal government of Nigeria through their protected militiamen called bandits and unknown gunmen.
“Their primary aim is to discredit non-violent pro-Biafra freedom fighters like MASSOB and IPOB. They want to create an erroneous impression that pro-Biafra agitators have turned violent and militant.”
The group wondered how untrained persons with no military training overpowered the entire security apparatus of Nigeria in the Southeast.
It also wondered why there was no security resistance during the attack on Owerri Prisons and Imo State Police Headquarters in an operation that lasted more than one hour.
The group said, “Nigeria Military Cantonment, Obinze Owerri, is seven minutes’ drive to the scenes of the crime. Imo State MOPOL base is three minutes’ drive to the scenes of the crime, but no resistance from security agencies.
“The terrorist attacks in Owerri are part of the ongoing destructive measures by the President Muhamadu Buhari led administration to discredit and blackmail the pro-Biafra organizations to create an erroneous impression that Biafrans are waging war against Nigeria.”
MASSOB advised Governor Hope Uzodinma to stop heaping blames on IPOB or ESN or any other pro-Biafra organization, saying that pro-Biafra agitators were not responsible for all the terrorist activities in Igbo land.