The controversy surrounding the mystery corpses found floating on the Ezzu River three weeks ago got a new twist yesterday with the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) claiming that the corpses belonged to its members who were arrested and detained by security agencies without trial.
MASSOB issued its first reaction to the discovery of the corpses through its Director of Information, Mr Uchenna Madu said the movement had petitioned Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon; President Barack Obama; the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and Amnesty International, protesting the mass killing of its members by Nigerian security agencies.
He said the MASSOB members suspected to have been killed and dumped in the river include Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwa, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwankpa, Eze Ndubisi, Ebuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Ejiofor.
He claimed that they were arrested by a combined team of the army, police and State Security Service men at MASSOB security office at Onitsha Anambra State on November 9, 2012 before being handed over to the State Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters, Awkuzu Anambra State. it was there they were detained until their disappearance.
“Efforts by our counsel to secure their bail from the police proved futile. Our demands for their arraignment before a competent court of law were frustrated by SARS officers. They claimed that the court was not sitting because of Christmas.
“We got information from an insider at SARS headquarters, Awkuzu, that armless MASSOB members detained at SARS were secretly killed alongside other robbery suspects,” he said.
However, the Anambra State Police Command has dismissed the claims of MASSOB.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Emeka Chukwuemeka said the police were still waiting for the report of the autopsy carried out on the corpses dumped in the river..
Meanwhile, an Onitsha Magistrate Court, presided over by Mrs. E.O. Ughanze,has ordered the police to issue a hearing notice to Directorate of Public Prosecution in a case involving the Region 4 Administrator of the movement of MASSOB, Chief Arinze Igbani,
Igbani and two others (Ugwu Chikezie and Chukwudi Udemobi) were on Thursday arraigned at the magistrate court on a two-count charge of conspiracy, aiding and abetting.