Tension as soldiers intercept five MASSOB buses in Onitsha ---Today Nigeria

Palpable fear gripped the commercial city of Onitsha, yesterday, when five chartered 18-seater buses occupied by the Chief Ralph Uwazuruike-led members of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, (MASSOB), were intercepted by soldiers at a military checkpoint.

It was along the Onitsha/ Owerri expressway by Azia Junction in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Chris Mocha, in an interview said that he did not have any inkling of where the soldiers took all their members in the buses to.

He stressed that three of the buses were carrying MASSOB members, who were returning to Anambra and Delta states from Owerri, where they had attended their national convention, while the other two were carrying veteran Biafrian soldiers, who were also returning from the same Owerri convention.

Mocha noted that he had communicated the situation to the MASSOB leader, Uwazuruike, who in turn, instructed him to issue a press statement to that effect.

He maintained that no odds would stop MASSOB from celebrating the Biafra Day in remembrance of the fallen heroes and also celebrating the 49th anniversary of the outbreak of genocidal war which arose from the declaration of Biafra Republic, which claimed millions of Igbo lives.

While noting that arrangements had been concluded with regards to the celebration, Mocha called on military authorities to leave their members alone as they were neither armed nor exhibited any act of violence as they were returning to Anambra and parts of Delta State from Owerri where they had attended meeting presided over by Uwazuruike himself.

The rallies, which are expected to hold today, May 30, are being organised by members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), MASSOB and other pro-Biafran groups.

Investigations showed that the soldiers were stopping vehicles to conduct thorough searches before the buses carrying MASSOB members arrived.

A passenger, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the security officers conducted a thorough stop and search on the vehicles plying the route, especially the full loaded ones and in the process, caused a terrible grid lock.

He said: “Any bus that is loaded is stopped and the bags are removed and searched. They have been searching since Friday. They are also stopping containers carrying imported goods, breaking the keys and conducting searches inside.

“They told us they were ordered from above to search all vehicles coming to the South-East to ensure no weapons are smuggled in because of Biafra Remembrance Day.”

Commercial bus operators used the opportunity of the gridlock to make brisk business as transport fares increased spontaneously.

While some took N150, as against the usual N100, it cost to travel from Onitsha to Asaba, some charged as much as N200 and N250, especially those who knew their way around to take a short cut to their destination.

Meanwhile, MASSOB yesterday berated President Muhammadu Buhari for his policies and programmes within one year in office, continued detention of the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu and fight against Biafra agitators in the country.

This is coming as the Movement declared today, Biafra Day to commemorate the declaration of Biafra by late Gen. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.