15:T790,

The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has dared the police in Aba, Abia State, over its alleged order banning members of the movement from wearing Biafran camouflage in public.

Rather, MASSOB in the region has warned police in the city to release four of its members allegedly arrested for contravening the said order.

About four MASSOB members were on Wednesday arrested by the police in the premises of Tenant Road Primary School/East Street where they were said to be holding a meeting on how to bury their late member, one James Agwu, from Obingwa Local Government Area.

It was gathered that while the meeting was going on, some policemen came and dispersed them and as the MASSOB members were leaving, four of them were arrested on the allegation that they had been warned not to wear the Biafran camouflage again.

However, reacting to the development, MASSOB director of information for Aba region, Mr. Sunny Okereafor, said it was wrong for the police to ban his members from wearing the group’s uniform.

According to him, “what police uniform is to the police, is what the Biafran camouflage is to MASSOB and we cannot do without it.”

He said that the Biafran camouflage with its crest of rising sun, is the symbol of MASSOB and by extension, that of Ndigbo and therefore, it would be out of place to ask them not to be wearing it.

Okereafor urged the police to release their members without further delay, stressing that even though the organisation chose the non-violent approach in its struggle, there were limits to which its members could be pushed. When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Abia State Command said he had not been informed about the arrests.

•Text courtesy Daily Sun. Photo shows MASSOB Leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

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