MASSOB faction condemns militant group, says violence is unacceptable

dimeji akinloye

June 18, 2016 12:13 PM

MASSOB led by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike condemned the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers, saying the Biafra movement does not support violence.

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) led by Chief

The MASSOB faction, led by Uchenna Madu, had, earlier in the week, commended the NDA for its activities and for giving seven governors in the South East and South South zones one week ultimatum to release pro-Biafra agitators detained in their states or face their wrath.

The National Director of Information for MASSOB's Uwazuruike faction, Sunny Okereafor said the movement does not believe in violence as a means of agitation.

“Right from the day of the formation of MASSOB, our leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike was emphatic on our modus operandi, that, we will not use violence in the struggle and we’ve maintained that," he said after a meeting in Aba, Abia State.

“It will, therefore, be out of place for any genuine MASSOB member to say he is supporting what the NDA is doing in the Niger Delta region -destroying oil facilities which were built with the peoples’ money.”

According to Okereafor, no true MASSOB member would support the Avengers, a group he said had destruction as its mission and which had agreed to dialogue with the Federal Government, a move he said was at variance with his MASSOB’s stance.

“By accepting to dialogue with the federal government, it means NDA leaders have agreed to dialogue away the future of their children and MASSOB should have nothing to do with such a group because we believe in the sanctity of Biafra which will be achieved through peaceful means.

“We could have welcomed them if they had renounced violence, do away with their plans to dialogue with anybody and demanded a country of their own,” he said.

READ: Niger Delta Avengers call MEND political thugs

Referring to the Madu faction, Okereafor said the supposed MASSOB members support the NDA have been expelled from the group because of their violent posture.

He said members of the public should ignore any statement coming from anybody claiming to represent MASSOB other than the Uwazuruike faction, stressing that Solomon Chukwu remains the authentic leader of the movement.

dimeji akinloye