The police in Rivers state on Friday said they have arrested 19 persons suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), in Oyigbo Local Government Area(LGA), of Rivers state.

The arrest may not be unconnected with the attack and burning of trucks and other vehicles laden with goods at Komkom axis of Oyigbo while leaving the state for other parts of the country earlier hours of yesterday, Friday, September 14, 2018.

The incident reportedly occurred about 2: am. The leadership of IPOB allegedly directed their members and supporters to observe a one day sit-at-home in remembrance of the alleged disappearance of their leader Nnamdi Kanu as well as to commemorate their day, instructing all shops, businesses and markets either owned and operated by the south-Easterners across the country to be shut down, even as vehicles owned by them be taken off all routes beginning from 12 midnight Friday.

The attack on the vehicles apparently followed the directives.

The spokesman of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), in a telephone interview with the Nation Friday said the said group does not exist by law, having been outlawed by the government, hence have no right to issue any order to Nigerian citizens.

He said, “Three vehicles were destroyed and burnt down by the members of the outlawed IPOB at Oyigbo, following the said sit-at-home order.

“We have arrested 19 of them and will definitely charge them to court the moment we are through with our investigations which they are really cooperating with us in.”

Asked if the arrest was for the destruction done or the order given said, “Because the group has been proscribed, it does not exist in the eyes of the law, therefore that their so-called leaders gave them order to sit-at-home is in the first place illegal, and more worrisome is the fact that they came out to cause violent and destroy people's property is a bigger issue, as far as Nigeria is concerned there is no association like IPOB.” he said.

•Excerpted from The Nation report

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