Members of the Movement for the Actualization of
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) yesterday smashed a five-man armed robbery
gang in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State.
The gang was alleged to be responsible for violent
crimes along the ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri Road before luck ran against them.
Parading one of the suspects, Chibuzor, a native of
Ebonyi State, who named the other fleeing members of the gang, MASSOB Director
of Security in charge of Region 4, Mr. Chukwuneke Agoha, said his men were on
patrol when they ran into a roadblock mounted by the robbers after they had
robbed a trailer driver and several others.
Agoha said, “Our security men were on patrol along Onitsha-Owerri
Road around midnight when suddenly they ran into a gang of armed robbers who
barricaded the expressway with a spoilt vehicle. Our men, who were riding on
motorcycles, ran into the parked car and fell down and the hoodlums rushed out
from their hideout and attacked them and stabbed some of them with bottles and
machetes before they called for reinforcement and one of them was arrested
while four others escaped.”
In his statement, the suspect confessed that he joined
the gang about a month ago and had participated in many operations within
Onitsha and environs, stating that he met the gang at a motor park where they
were sleeping every night.
He said the leader of the gang, simply identified as
Otu, was released from prison about three months ago and that he initiated him
into armed robbery when they met at a joint where they were smoking Indian
hemp.
Commending the security men for their gallantry, the
MASSOB Administrator in charge of Region 4, Chief Arinze Igbani, said the
Movement was committed to the task of stamping out criminal elements from the
South-East, especially armed robbers and kidnappers.
Igbani said MASSOB would continue to hunt down
criminals and hand them over to the police in line with the directives of their
leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.
He lamented that the constant clampdown on the members
of the group by the Army and the Police had slowed down their pace and zeal in
tackling insecurity in the zone.
Igbani added, “We are appealing to the Anambra State
Government and security agencies to allow MASSOB members a free hand to operate
and flush out the criminals in the overall interest of the people.
“They should stop seeing us as hoodlums while actually
we are helping them to tackle the security challenges, which appear to be above
the powers of security agencies.”
Meanwhile, the suspect had been handed over to the
police at Okpoko Police Station for proper investigation.