Floating Anambra corpses were our members killed by security agencies- MASSOB

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Thursday said that the corpses found floating in a river in Anambra State were its members.

Last month, more than 20 bodies were discovered floating on the Ezzu River in Amansea, a border town linking Anambra and Enugu States.

The police confirmed the bodies and said they were carrying out investigations to confirm their identities and their cause of death.

MASSOB said that they were members of the group who were arrested and detained by security agencies in Anambra State; but never released or charged to court.

“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,” said Uchenna Madu, MASSOB’s Director of Information.

According to Mr. Madu, some of the names of the recovered corpses are Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwa, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwankpa, Eze Ndubisi, Ebuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Ejiofor.

Mr. Madu said that they were arrested last November at the MASSOB’s security office in Onitsha, Anambra State, by a team of police, army, and State Security Service men.

They were taken to the State Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, headquarters, in Awkuzu, where they were detained until their disappearance.

“We got information from an insider at SARS headquarters, Awkuzu, that harmless MASSOB members detained at SARS were secretly killed alongside other robbery suspects,” Mr. Madu said.

While dismissing MASSOB’s claims, Emeka Chukwuemeka, Spokesperson for the Anambra State Police, stated that the police were still awaiting the report of the autopsy carried out on the corpses.

The South East militia group, MASSOB, had continually protested the extra judicial killings of its members by security agencies in the region.

Mr. Madu said that petitions had been sent to Amnesty International; Ban Ki Moon, United Nation’s Secretary General; the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and Barack Obama, the U.S. President over the unjust executions.