Posted by By PETER OBI, Abakaliki on
Eighty members of the Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have been arraigned before an Abakaliki Magistrate Court on a five count charge which includes treason.
Eighty members of the Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have been arraigned before an Abakaliki Magistrate Court on a five count charge which includes treason.
Four women and two juveniles were among the MASSOB members who were also charged with unlawful assembly and arranging to wage war against the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs Nnenna Abani-Uzomah asked that the MASSOB faithfuls be remanded in prison custody as the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case.
The group was to hold a rally last Sunday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, but the meeting at the Peoples Club was however marred when security operatives clashed with them.
The MASSOB Director of Information, Uchenna Madu earlier told newsmen that the rally was peaceful, and an interactive session "but they brought in security operatives."
He said over 40 of their members were injured. The charge sheet No MAB/229/05 on the second count charge stated, "on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district. did prepare to levy war against the president and the state in order to intimidate the president and the governor of the state…..punishable under Section 37 (1) of the Criminal Code".
The charge added that they (MASSOB) conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by holding a meeting called "MASSOB" and disturbed the peace of the town and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 249(d) of the Criminal Code Cap. 30 vol. II Laws of the Eastern Nigeria 1963 as applicable to Ebonyi State.
Counsel to the suspects Mr Friday Akpor before the court argued that his clients were attending a religious programme at the said venue not MASSOB meeting.