Police, MASSOB in showdown today

POLICE commands in the South-Eastern states of Abia, Enugu and Anambra on Friday emphasised their readiness to deal ruthlessly with anyone who foments trouble or indulge in any acts of lawlessness in the region today (Saturday).

This followed the stay-at-home order earlier issued to residents by the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) for that day.  

But the group’s Director of Information, Mr Uchenna Madu, told reporters that the group would go ahead with its plan, stressing that it was not aimed at causing trouble, but to pray for the souls of its kith and kin who were killed in recent times in the northern parts of the country by the Boko Haram sect.

To demonstrate its readiness to quell any lawless acts on Saturday (today), the Abia State police command on Friday deployed its officers and men to parts of the state in a Show-of-Force.
The team, which comprises mainly mobile policemen and women, drove round Umuahia and other areas in trucks, chanting songs.

MASSOB had issued a sit-at-home order for today to members of the public in the defunct Eastern Region to mourn their kith and kin killed by the Boko Haram insurgents in the northern parts of the country.

The command’s spokesman, Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, said the command was poised to forestall any act that could threaten the peace and security of the state.

Ogbonna said the exercise was also carried out in Aba, the economic hub of the state, as well as other major towns and villages in the state.

He called on members of the public to disregard MASSOB’s order and go about their lawful businesses without any fear of molestation.

“We are on top of the situation,” he said, adding that officers and men of the command were on red alert and keeping 24-hour surveillance in all the nooks and crannies of the state.

Also speaking on the MASSOB order, the Special Adviser to Governor Theodore Orji on Security, Navy Capt. Chris Osondu (rtd), described the agitation by the group as “unrealistic.”

Osondu advised the leadership of the group to work towards the unity and development of the country rather than dissipate its energy and resources pursuing an obsolete and unrealistic project.

Also, the Divisional Police Officer for Nsukka, Mr James Nwokolo, while addressing reporters on Friday, urged residents to go about their lawful businesses.

Declaring that the police would not tolerate any act of lawlessness, Nwokolo said that arrangements had been concluded to provide adequate security to the residents.

“Residents should feel free and go about their normal businesses. The police will deal ruthlessly with anybody or group that will engage in any act of lawlessness.

Nwokolo urged parents to advise their children and wards to stay away from anything that would put them in trouble.

“It is unlawful for any individual or group to stop people from going about their lawful businesses. The police will arrest and prosecute anyone or group trying to breach the peace,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, also on Friday called on the citizens of the state to go about their normal businesses without fear of molestation.

According to a statement from the spokesman of the state police command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, the police commissioner assured the public that nobody or group would be allowed to disturb their peace.

He also said the command had empowered its operatives to apprehend and prosecute any person or group found disturbing the peace of the citizens under any guise.

He advised members of the public to inform the command’s operatives about any attempt to disturb their peace.

He also advised the public to contact any of the patrol vehicles nearest to their location for appropriate action where they could get in touch with the police through telephone.

Also, Mr Emeka Chukwuemeka, the Public Relations Officers of the Anambra State police command, in Awka on Friday told members of the public to ignore the order and go about their lawful businesses.

He said the police in the state would not spare anybody using the unpopular order to disturb the existing peace in the state.

Meanwhile, MASSOB’s Director of Information, Mr Uchenna Madu, told reporters that the group would go ahead with its plan.