The Chief Ralph Uwazuruike-led Biafra Independence Movement and Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (BIM-MASSOB) says that its regional office at Njaba, Umuaka in Imo state have been raided by “officials of the Nigerian Navy.”
Spokesperson of BIM-MASSOB, Elder Chris Mocha, said in a statement on Monday morning that the raid was however carried out last week Wednesday and that the officials of the Nigerian navy carted away “valuable items, cash and resulted in the destruction of Biafra flag and sign post.
The statement by BIM-MASSOB said there was no arrest or casualty during the operation as “members were not in the meeting during the afternoon raid,” however, “the overzealous naval men broke the doors and ransacked the office.
“The heavily armed naval officers who arrived the area in two Hilux vans were drafted from the Naval Base at Naze, near Owerri, the imo state capital. They had, on arrival, forced the doors open, destroyed the toilet facilities, ransacked the rooms and parlour and carted away vital documents and made away with some valuables including the sum of eleven thousand naira (#11,000) kept in an envelope being contributions by his members.
“The heavily armed naval officers destroyed the Biafra flag and the sign post in front of our regional office at Umuaka and removed cash of about eleven thousand naira meant for office use”, Ekwoye-Okafor said.
“It was not immediately clear the motive behind their visit to BIM-MASSOB office, but a resident who pleaded for anonymity told our member and said , ‘before they left the premises, the naval men threatened to burn the nearby houses in the area if the landlord fails to produce the suspected IPOB leader.”
The statement by Elder Mocha said that “Cajethan Ekwonye and Emmanuel C Nwokeji, Orlu zonal leader and regional administrator for Njaba, respectively, have denied any link to the members of indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB. They also confirmed that one of their members, Mr. Calistus Udeogaranya who was arrested by soldiers since august at his residence along Oguta road, Mgbidi, in Oru West LGA of Imo state has been remanded in Imo correctional center, Owerri, insisting that Mr. Calistus Udeogaranya was an innocent member of a peaceful organization that does not harm or constitute a security risk to the society and demanded his case file be transferred from Magistrate’s to a High Court that has jurisdiction to entertain his matter.”