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According to the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Austin Evbakhavbakun, they MASSOB members were taken to an Owerri Magistrate court on Monday.
The CP, who briefed journalists in his office in Owerri, said 68 members of the outlawed group were arrested by his officers and men along Port Harcourt /Owerri Federal Highway on Saturday, May 30, 2015, while they were allegedly engaged in the acts mentioned above, adding that the leader of the movement, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, from investigations they conducted, was not associated with the group they arrested. Things found with the suspects included Biafran Army uniforms, Biafran identity cards, Biafran flags and some buses.
He said: “On Saturday 30/05/2015, members of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) stormed Owerri, Imo State from all directions in buses to celebrate Biafra Day and remembrance of their Fallen Heroes.
“The group, without previous notice to the police command was clad in MASSOB/Biafra uniforms in which they marched along the Port Harcourt /Owerri Federal Highway, chanting war songs in such a manner as to cause breach of peace.
They were dispersed by the State Police Command and in the process, 68 suspected MASSOB members were arrested. Sixty two of them have been charged to court this morning for conspiracy, belonging to unlawful society and conduct likely to cause breach of the peace.”
Continuing, he said: “MASSOB Chief, Uwazurike was not associated with this group. I don’t know if it is faction of MASSOB.
According to him, the arrest was carried out with minimum force and without casualties.
Commenting further, he said: “Before you engage in any such protest, you apply to the CP. We have one nation. Their act was subversive. No security agency can close its eyes on such an occurrence. We are here to protect the
