Security operatives pick up MASSOB chieftain in Onitsha

Perturbed by a successful outing of
members of the Movement for the Actualization
of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, during
last Tuesday's sensitisation campaign on the
proposed June 8 sit-at-home exercise, security
operatives appeared to have begun a manhunt
and total clampdown on the movement,
apparently in a bid to frustrate and stop the
programme.
Accordingly, some security agents believed to be
personnel of Department of State Services, DSS,
on Tuesday evening arrested MASSOB's Awka
North Regional Administrator, Anthony Nwodo,
at a newsstand, along the Old Market Road,
Onitsha, and whisked him away to a yet to be
known destination.
According to eye-witnesses, Nwodo was said to
have been called on phone by a lady believed to
be a personnel of the security operatives and was
informed that he was seen by her issuing out
fliers containing articles on the proposed June 8
sit-at-home exercise.
The said caller also demanded to know the
whereabout of Nwodo, to enable her pick up her
own fliers to be educated properly on the sit-at-
home exercise, adding that he should tell her the
type and colour of dress he was wearing, for
proper identification.
Impressed by such flattering words, the
witnesses said the MASSOB chieftain not only
revealed his whereabout, but also informed the
caller that he was very close to them.
Unknown to him that the caller was among the
security operatives who parked their white SUV
with a revolving light at a petrol station very
close to the newsstand hunting the MASSOB
chieftains, Nwodo drew nearer to their vehicle
and as soon as he approached the vehicle closely,
she called him once more to confirm that he was
actually their target. It was learnt as soon as he
was trying to pick the call, they grabbed him,
threw him into the waiting vehicle and zoomed
off.
It was when the vehicle zoomed off that he
looked at the back seat of the vehicle and noticed
that the particular lady who had been calling him
on phone all the while was sitting at the back
seat, as one of the security operatives hunting for
MASSOB members.
Contacted on the arrest, the Onitsha police Area
commander, Mr. Benjamin Wordu told
newsmen on phone that he was not yet aware of
the development, adding that most times SSS
operatives strike without pre-information to the
police. He reasoned that the operatives might
have come from Awka, State capital.
Reacting to the arrest, the MASSOB Deputy
Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha and
the Regional Administrator for Aguata, Sylvester
Okonkwo, described the arrest of Nwodo as an
uncivilized action and demanded for his
immediate release alive in the interest of peace
and tranquility.