Detained Merchant ship: We didn't do it. . .but we understand and respect their tactics - MASSOB, IPOB

Detained Merchant ship: We didn't do it. . .but we understand and respect their tactics - MASSOB, IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), yesterday, denied alleged involvement in the detention and threat to blowing up a merchant ship carrying foreigners.

The New York Times, in a reported yesterday titled "Nigerian Separatists Hijack Ship, Demand Release of Leader" tried to rope in the IPOB and MASSOB in the act.

However, the leader of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, said that the group has no hand in the alleged hijacking of any merchant ship or any threat to blow up the alleged ship, because they are non violent and have no weapon to hold any ship hostage, let alone seizing and threatening to blow it with its passengers.

He said: “I am aware that a militant group sometime gave the Federal Government twenty one-day ultimatum to release Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, failing which they threatened that they will do what will surprise the Nigerian government. May be it is the group, I do not even remember their name but I heard or read about that threat.

“You know that a lot of groups are springing up from the old Eastern Region to agitate for the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra and as far as they are fighting for Biafra, we cannot disown them, but they have their own style which I think the Federal Government of Nigeria understands easily. If you are not violent, they will not understand and they will ignore you. So, we support the group if that is what they have actually done.

“We in MASSOB are not involved in violence, that is why they do not take us serious. They believe we are illiterate job seekers that are frustrated in life and decided to demand for Biafra. They think that our own is to demonstrate peacefully and they will shoot and kill us and go into jubilation that they have dealt with us, but now, they have seen their match. We support the people if they have actually done that.”

He further stated that “any method applied by any Biafra agitating group to ensure that the Federal Government of Nigeria respects its law and court orders is approved by MASSOB, but we in MASSOB have chosen the path of non-violence and we will maintain it until Biafra is achieved.

He disclosed that over 40 groups are fighting for the actualization of an independent state of Biafra, with MASSOB as the parent body and urged the Federal Government to grant unconditional release to the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Likewise, IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful said IPOB is a non violent group with responsible men in the society in Nigeria and in diaspora as members and therefore, cannot involve in any violent activity that may possibly harm or take the life of anybody from within and outside Nigeria.

He said: “Many people are sympathetic to the Biafran actualization cause because of the treatment meted to the entire Biafran land comprising the former Eastern Region. Many groups are also rising up to speak against the treatment meted to the IPOB leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu who at present is being incarcerated in Kuje prison, and they can use any style to make their demand felt by the Federal Government but no IPOB member has a hand in it.”

The New York Times report alleged that Biafra agitators hijacked a merchant ship and threatened to blow it up with its foreign crew if government authorities do not release its detained leader agitating for a breakaway state of Biafra.

It stated that a Defence Ministry source, the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brig-General Rabe Abubakar confirmed that the hijacking occurred on Friday and called it “an act of sabotage.”