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Stay at home order: MASSOB
storms Aba houses
•Seeks compliance on August 26
•Police warn activists
JAYNE OSONDU,
Aba
MOBILISATION
drive to ensure compliance with its stay-at-home directive to South-East
indigenes and residents moved into a higher gear yesterday as members of the
Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) stormed
the streets of Aba, Abia State in a house-to-house campaign.
MASSOB is urging those it
described as citizens of the Federal Republic of New Biafra to stay at home on
Thursday, August 26, to reflect on their situation.
The Aba campaigners went round
the major streets and markets reminding residents of the need to obey the order.
But police of the Abia State
command has reacted swiftly, warning of dire consequences for members of MASSOB
who breach the public peace and offend the laws of the land.
A statement signed by police
command’s spokesman Mr. Raymond Enabor, said there is nowhere in the world
where there is a sovereign state within an independent and sovereign state.
It urged residents in the state
to go about their lawful business as the police will provide them the necessary
protection.
It warned that police would deal
decisively with anyone caught causing civil disorder.
Members of MASSOB, in apparent
disregard of the police statement, went ahead to distribute leaflets with the
title - "Biafrans Rejoice For Your Independence Has Come August 26,
2004."
Part of the message contained in
the leaflet says: "In accordance with the non-violence principles, the
Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) wishes
to inform all Biafran citizens about the current development on the desired
independent state of Biafra.
"All Biafrans within the
Biafra territory have been directed to stay indoors on Thursday August 26, 2004
from 6.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. a demonstration on total intimidation,
marginalisation and the Nigeria occupation of Biafra territory for more than 37
years.
"All schools, markets,
offices, parks, departments etc are also expected to remain closed as a mark of
respect to our father’s land."
Addressing journalists later,
Mrs. Comfort Ogbuoke, chief administrator, Aba Zone I, said they do not intend
to force people to stay at home, rather what they use is psychological
persuasion to make people to obey the order.
She said MASSOB expects every
Easterner, whereever in the world, to remember what easterners have gone through
and stay at home.
On Igbo presidency, Mrs. Ogbuoke
said those who aspire to become President are those who feed from Nigeria and
not part of the suffering masses and oppressed Biafrans.
She said: "Those people stay
at Abuja and not in the East and are not familiar with the feelings of the
people."
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