Get Latest Tori News Alert!
Enter your email below.

Delivered by FeedBurner





Hot Stories
Recent Stories

Tension In Southeast As Police, IPOB, Engage In Show Of Force

Posted by Odinaka on Wed 12th Dec, 2018 - tori.ng

The arrest of over fifty suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra in Umuahia has caused tension in the state.

 
File photo
 
According to a report by Vanguard, palpable tension is building up in the South East as the Abia State Police command has arrested 51 suspected members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who held procession on some streets of Umuahia.
 
The suspects were 10 females and 41 males, who police said disguised as Jewish worshippers to confuse the people of the state.
 
The command claimed they were out to cause disorder and breach the peace in the state. But in a swift reaction, the suspects maintained that they are Jewish adherents performing one of their religious obligation of end of year procession and was not out to cause any trouble.
 
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, condemned the arrest, saying what the people did was in conformity with the Jewish religion.
 
“They are Jewish faithful in solidarity with the Biafran cause. What they did was right. We support them. Even the other religious bodies such as Catholic and Anglican have their own periods when they hold their own procession ceremonies.
 
"They performed their religious obligation and they have sympathy for Biafra. We were not involved but we support what they did,” Comrade Uchenna Madu, leader of MASSOB said in a telephone interview.
 
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has condmned what they called “the arrest and continued clampdown on Jewish worshipers who were doing peaceful rally and sensitisation for Biafra referendum.”
 
IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, said in a statement: “IPOB leadership will not fail to notify Jewish community all over the world, particularly Jewish worshipers in Israel and other parts of the world over the arrest of Jewish church members who were peacefully protesting for Biafra freedom in Umuahia today (yesterday).
 
“We are warning Abia State Police Commissioner to release the 54 innocent citizens of Biafra who were doing peaceful evangelism in Umuahia for Biafra freedom.
 
“We blame Okezie Ikpeazu and Abia Police Commissioner for the damage this action may cause in Abia state if they fail to release these innocent Jewish worshipers exercising their rights."


Top Stories
Popular Stories


Stories from this Category
Recent Stories