The leadership of the ‘progressive members’ of the Movement for the
Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (P-MASSOB) yesterday made
a passionate appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan and Anambra State
Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to intervene and effect the release of 22
MASSOB members detained in Awka and Onitsha prisons since April 2007.
P-MASSOB is also soliciting the assistance of human rights and civil
society organisations and other progressive Igbo leaders to help free
the 22 persons including two females and a cripple, who have spent seven
years in prison custody on alleged frivolous charge of treasonable
felony.
In a statement issued in Awka by MASSOB National Director of
Information, Uchenna Madu, for Progressive MASSOB, the group noted that
the detainees had been abandoned in the prison to rot away for being
members of the movement, stressing that about 15 of them, including the
women and the crippled were in dire need of medical attention.
The statement read in part: “Several court adjournments, transfer of
judges, who want to establish justice and systematic delay of their
trial have been the calculated method to frustrate their release at
Federal High Court, Awka and the state High Court, Ogidi.
“The detained MASSOB members at Awka prison are Sabastine Amadi,
Ikechukwu Chikwem, Peter Igbokwe, Uchenna Nicholas, Uche Idika, Casmir
Odokara, Eni Kalu, Chidiebere Ezekwem, Chima Asoh (cripple), Ojimba
Anyanwu, Ndubuisi Okam, Emmanuel Orji, Micheal Okezie, Ikechukwu Aghari,
Mmaduabuchi Asika, Chinwike Irondi, Chukwuma Kalu, while those at
Onitsha prison are Innocent Orji, Chukwuebuka Ikenwa, Amah Onu, Okwudiri
Basil (female) and Onyekachi Orji (female).
“Their aged parents have been subjected to psychological trauma, many
of the detainees are breadwinners of their families, many of their
children are no longer in schools, and their wives have gone back to
their respective villages.”
The group, therefore, appealed to President Jonathan and Governor
Obiano as well as rights and civil society organisations and progressive
Igbo leaders to help effect their release.
It stated: “They have realized that they are being deceived by
Uwazurike and his false propagation of Biafra actualization, using
Ojukwu’s name to gain personal wealth and enhancing his political
ambition.
“Our brothers have died, many are dislodged as a result of MASSOB
activities and abandoned by Uwazuruike. They are rotting away because of
Uwazuruike’s MASSOB. We appealed to Igbo leaders, Governor Obiano to
help them as they had realized their mistake of following Uwazuruike’s
vain promise of better Igboland through Biafra actualization.”
source: the Sun