MASSOB members face felony charge

Nine members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) arrested in Ebonyi State early in the week were yesterday remanded in Abakaliki Federal Prisons. They are being charged for alleged conspiracy to commit felony.

The remanded MASSOB members are among the 14 people, whose bus was intercepted at Nkwoagu, in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State by soldiers, on their way to Okwe, Okigwe, the hometown of MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike.

The nine MASSOB members were arraigned before Magistrate Lazarus Nwokah for “unlawful society, plot to commit felony and causing extreme fear to members of the public with their uniform and thereby, committing an offence punishable under section 516A (a), section 63 of the Criminal code cap 33 vol.1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009 and section 12 (1)(a) and punishable under section 12 (2) of the Ebonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Laws Cap 55 Vol.2 of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.”

Nwokah adjourned the matter sine die for lack of jurisdiction and transferred the case to the state’s High Court for further adjudication, even as the bail application for the accused by defence counsel, Barrister Jerry Ezenyi, was rejected by the court.

The court charged the police to desist from arresting innocent citizens of the country and pushing them to the court for no just cause. Reacting, to the court’s order, Director of Information of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, raised the alarm over the non-arraignment of five other members of the group who were arrested along side others. He expressed fears over their safety and wondered why they were not brought to court, while calling on the state police command to release them. He said: “Fourteen of our members were arrested and today they arraigned only nine.

Where are the others? That’s what I’m asking. Maybe the police are still keeping them somewhere. Why must they continue to frustrate us? There is a limit to everything. Why must they arrest 14 MASSOB members and arraign 9 and keep the other five? Those yet to be arraigned are Peter Oga, John Ewo, Emeka Agwu, Uche Okoro and Patrick Egwu. Where are they? What are they planning? These things are making us uncomfortable. They should stop pushing us to the wall. Let them arraign the other five and stop pushing us to the wall.”

He wondered why MASSOB members being charged with treason. “How can you charge MASSOB that it wants to over throw the government? We are non-violent but we have people who are violent and threatening, but they are not charged with treason. MASSOB members are being charged and thrown into the prison because of the system we are operating here. We condemn the verdict of the court, though we will still go to the High Court and apply for their bail.

source: the sun