The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and its sister organisation, Biafra Independent Movement (BIM), have cried out to the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 9, Hassan Karma, to intervene and order the Anambra State Police Command to release one of their members, Eze Israel.

The groups, in a two-page petition to the AIG dated December 28, 2016 and endorsed by Anselem Ogbonna, MASSOB-BIM Zonal Information Director, Abia Central Zone, said that Eze Israel was nabbed by the Police on December 15, 2016 and dumped at the Awka Central Police Station.

The groups said that Israel, who is also the MASSOB-BIM Zonal Information Director of Enugu West and Group Regional Information Director of Oji River in Enugu State, was arrested by the Police on his way to a meeting with their leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, without reason, and has since been languishing in detention because the Police was allegedly demanding for the payment of N150,000 before he (Israel) could be set free.

The petition titled “Unlawful Detention of One Mr. Eze Israel at Awka Central Police Station For No Just Cause,” reads in part: “Information reaching us reveal that one Mr. Eze Israel was apprehended by Police and later was dumped at Awka Central Police State (CPS) by the Anambra State Police Command on the December 15, 2016.

“Eze Israel is the MASSOB-BIM Zonal Information Director of Enugu West and Group Regional Information Director of Oji River in Enugu State.

“He was arrested on his way to a meeting with our leader, Chief Dr. Ralph Uwazuruike, without reason.

“As at today, he has spent 13 days in the Police custody without trial. All efforts by our men to secure his release have proved abortive as the Anambra State Police Command is demanding the sum of N150,000 for his release. They have even refused charging him to court.”

Ogbonna alerted the AIG that “Mr. Eze Israel is a diabetic patient and his condition of health is fast deteriorating.

“His detention brings to mind, the arrest of our members by a combined team of the Army, Police, State Security Service (SSS) in Anambra State on October 22, 2012 whose dead bodies were later found floating on the Ezu River at Amansea Community in Awka North Local Government area on Saturday, January 19, 2013. Police just killed them extra-judicially and dumped their corpses in Ezu River,” Ogbonna recalled.

He lamented that although MASSOB-BIM has never been violent, her members “were being treated in a brutish manner.

“I, therefore, call on you to advise the Anambra State Police Command now before it is too late,” Ogbonna appealed to the AIG.