MASSOB Appeals To Jonathan, Governor Obiano Over 22 Detained Members

FROM IGNATIUS OKPARA, Awka

Members of the Progressive Movement Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (P-MASSOB), have made a passionate appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan and Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to intervene in the continued detention of 22 of their members being held in Awka and Onitsha prisons since April 2007.

The leadership of the group is also soliciting for the intervention of human rights and civil society organisations, as well as other progressive Igbo leaders.

They want the release of the 22 persons including two females and a cripple, who according to them, have spent seven years in prison custody on alleged frivolous charge of treasonable felony without trial.

A statement issued and made available to newsmen on Monday in Awka, by MASSOB National Director of Information, Uchenna Madu on behalf of the group, noted that the detainees had been abandoned in the prison to rot away for being members of the movement.

He stated that about 15 of them, including the women and the crippled were in dire need of medical attention.

The statement read in part: “Several court adjournments, transfer of judges, who want to establish justice and systematic delay of their trial have been the calculated method to frustrate their release at Federal High Court, Awka and the state High Court, Ogidi.

“The detained MASSOB members at Awka prison are Sabastine Amadi, Ikechukwu Chikwem, Peter Igbokwe, Uchenna Nicholas, Uche Idika, Casmir Odokara, Eni Kalu, Chidiebere Ezekwem, Chima Asoh (cripple), Ojimba Anyanwu, Ndubuisi Okam, Emmanuel Orji, Micheal Okezie, Ikechukwu Aghari, Mmaduabuchi Asika, Chinwike Irondi, Chukwuma Kalu, while those at Onitsha prison are Innocent Orji, Chukwuebuka Ikenwa, Amah Onu, Okwudiri Basil (female) and Onyekachi Orji (female).

“Their aged parents have been subjected to psychological trauma, many of the detainees are breadwinners of their families, many of their children are no longer in schools, and their wives have gone back to their respective villages.”

The group, therefore, appealed to President Jonathan and Governor Obiano as well as rights and civil society organisations and progressive Igbo leaders to help effect their release.

“They have realized that they are being deceived by Uwazurike and his false propagation of Biafra actualization, using Ojukwu’s name to gain personal wealth and enhancing his political ambition.

“Our brothers have died, many are dislodged as a result of MASSOB activities and abandoned by Uwazuruike. They are rotting away because of Uwazuruike’s MASSOB. We appealed to Igbo leaders, Governor Obiano to help them as they had realized their mistake of following Uwazuruike’s vain promise of better Igboland through Biafra actualization.”