The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) on Sunday accused the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose of backing the arrest and detention of some Igbo traders resident in the state in December 2016.

MASSOB, in a statement made available to the media in Awka and signed by the group’s Director of Information, Samuel Edeson, claimed that the arrested Igbo traders were law-abiding citizens who did not commit any crime but were doing legitimate businesses around the post office area of Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital before their arrest by the agents of government task force.

The statement read in part: “MASSOB is worried that since last year December, they have not been arraigned before any court or allowed medical attention.

“Every effort to secure their release is being frustrated by Ekiti State security agents. These men are breadwinners of their respective families.

“The arrest of these law abiding Biafra residents in Ado-Ekiti has the back-up of Governor Fayose-led Ekiti State because they are Igbo.

“The names of these Igbo men with a Yoruba man arrested by Ekiti State government since December 2017 around Post Office, Ado-Ekiti were David Reuben, Onyemechi Nwanneka, Christopher Godwin, David Chukwu, Sunday Agbo, Sunday Mgbiri, Chisoba Obiekwe, Nwobodo James, Akeredolu Soji (Yoruba man) and others.

“As the people of Biafra are celebrating Governor Fayose of Ekiti State as a friend and brother to Ndi Biafra, MASSOB urge him to intervene on this unfortunate plight of our brothers detained unlawfully in his state.

“We also appeal for their release to rejoin with their respective families. In the spirit of the new political romance between the people of Biafra and Governor Fayose of Ekiti State, MASSOB, under the leadership of Comrade Uchenna Madu is optimistic that Governor Fayose will not disappoint the people of Biafra.

“Our people should no longer suffer in the hand and land of our perceived friends.”

MASSOB however advised Igbo living in Ekiti State to be law-abiding and adhere to Igbo traditional culture of “Obiara bee Onye abiagbule ya, mgbe Oga-la mkpumkpu apukwala ya n’azu.”

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