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The leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazurike has stated that the group has lost about 63 of its members to police killings since the inception of the body in 1999, while no fewer than 1000 of them are languishing in several detention cells nationwide.
Uwazurike dropped this hint exclusively to THISDAY yesterday at the Federal High Court, Lagos when he came with a group of people that attended the court sitting in solidarity with maverick musician, Charles Oputa, "Charley Boy' who was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for forceful invasion of its premises.
In a chat with THISDAY, Uwazurike said that apart from the burning down of MASSOB headquarters in Okigwe by the police late last year, members of the group have been subjected to mass violation of their fundamental human rights.
He noted that he "will soon approach the BBC to let the whole world know that our members who have not been involved in any violence are being held by police in detention for about six months now".
The MASSOB chief and originator lamented that apart from the burning down of his headquarters last year, the group also lost seven of its members in the alleged attack by the police.
He vowed that he would never be deterred by the various government reactions and "assaults', "afterall, if they burn down the head office of MASSOB, we still have more than 100 other offices all over the eastern part of the country".
According to him, "the last batch of the detainees were arrested in November 2001, and up till now, they have neither been released nor charged to any court for any offence".
Uwazurike who stated that he was in court "to pay his solidarity to Charly Boy, a Biafran who is being maltreated by a government agency, and a radical, which is a block I identify with" vowed that his clamour and quest for the state of Biafra will never come to an end until the intention is realised.
I his statement, Uwazurike said "I represent the new generation of Ndigbo, and I believe that it is my duty to be part and parcel of any maltreatment of any Igboman. It is not proper that Charly Boy worked for NDLEA and they paid him partly while refusing to pay the rest".
Continuing, Uwazurike said he had never sued the police to any court or sought any legal redress for the alleged killings of his members because of his lack of confidence in the Nigerian legal system. "The court is an organ and agency of the Nigerian government, how do you think they can give MASSOB justice. It is not possible", he concluded.
He also called on the police to charge his arrested and detained members to court if they have any case against them rather than detaining them endlessly.
___________________ He likened the second coming of Christ to the realisation of the Biafran dream, stating that at a time people least expect, the much sought Biafra would be a reality..Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku Posts: 622 | From: santiago, chile | Registered: Jan 2002
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In good times you would have seen spirited efforts by Biafrans on this forum to rescue their brothers from Obasanjo's gulag. These days however we spend our time fighting ourselves, thanks for reminding us all the same.
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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“The court is an organ and agency of the Nigerian government, how do you think they can give MASSOB justice. It is not possible.”
- Ralph Uwazurike, MASSOB Leader.
Okwyonwuka and Chiboy,
I thank both of you for bringing up this issue. Clearly these our brothers are political prisoners. And since we have no faith in BN Justice System and these patriotic Biafrans are prisoners of conscience, I suggest that we take a recourse to using the UN System to free them. What I have in mind here is petitioning the United Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) headed by Mary Robbinson and following it up till they regain their freedom. Freedom is their inalienable right. Obusonjo must not deny them their god-given right(s).
It is sad that these committed Biafrans are being held for several months in those gulags they call prisons in Nigeria, without being charged and tried. It is equally sad that Ganiyu Adams, the Carpenter-leader of the violent OPC group that has been killing, raping and maiming people in Lagos and other areas of BN, should be released after being arraigned for multiple murder, while MASSOB members who operate in a non-violent manner are being killed by Obusunjo’s Genocidal squads and others being thrown in prison without trial.
We must demand justice for these Biafran brothers in everyway we can.
___________________ ON Posts: 136 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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