Police deny killing MASSOB members

The Anambra State Police Command Monday refuted allegations by the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) that some of the 19 corpses recovered at the Ezu River, Amensea, in the state, were murdered by its operatives.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ballah Nasarawa, at a press briefing said that MASSOB was making the allegation because the Command had succeeded in checking its excesses in the state.

MASSOB had petitioned the United Nations (UN) and President Goodluck Jonathan, alleging the gruesome murder of nine of its members by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Awkuzu, Anambra State.

The movement said nine members arrested at its Onitsha office by security agents on November 9, 2012 include Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwu, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwankpa, Eze Ndubisi, Ewuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Eguofor.

But Nasarawa said: 'The attention of Anambra State Police Command has been drawn to a publication in some newspapers that the corpses recovered at River Ezu are those of some MASSOB members allegedly arrested and killed by security agencies. I want to use this medium to emphatically and categorically refute this baseless and malicious allegation in its entirety.  …At no time did my command arrest persons bearing the names mentioned in the publication. Our records are there to speak for us.'

He wondered why 'since the corpses were recovered from the river on January 20, 2013, and some were deposited at Amaku General Hospital Morgue, Awka, from January 20 to 28, 2013.  The faceless MASSOB members did not deem it fit to go and identify them only to come with unfounded allegation three weeks after.'

According to him, all suspected criminals arrested under the guise of MASSOB were duly charged to courts for prosecution, adding that as of now, many have been remanded in prison custody facing trial.