Group's leaders hold catholic priest hostage

Leaders and members of Movement For the Actualisation of Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB) reportedly held the priest in charge of St Luanga Catholic Church, Opoko in Onitsha, Anambra state, hostage.

Read FG shuts down controversial channel

The Priest was rescued by the timely intervention of men of the police force from Zone 9.

Confirming their arrest to newsmen, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9, Umuahia, Akila Usman Gwary said “In Anambra, 35 suspects were arrested. 18 of them were arrested from St. Luanga Catholic Church, Opoko in Onitsha, Anambra state. These people were holding the parish priest hostage, forcing him to conduct an anniversary mass for them. And they were all in their uniforms, with their flags. They were rounded up there and were picked from the church by the police.”

Read

Adding that “These were the only people that were picked by the police. There was no loss of life, there was no reason for exchange of firing, there was no reason to fire anybody. The people were arrested, taken into custody and have been charged to court this morning. There was no issue of 200 people dead.”