The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has raised alarm over what it described as the increasing harassment and persecution of its members by Nigerian security forces.

In a statement issued by the group’s Director of Information, Edeson Samuel, MASSOB said the growing trend of intimidation reflects a broader pattern of oppression against individuals and groups advocating for self-determination and human rights in Nigeria.

The group called on the International Human Rights Commission and other global rights organizations to intervene, investigate the alleged abuses, and help bring an end to the ongoing harassment.

“The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) wishes to draw the urgent attention of the international community to the increasing harassment and persecution of our members by Nigerian security agents,” the statement read.

Citing a specific case, the group highlighted the experience of Mr. Vitus Obumnaeme Ofido, its Regional Director of Mobilisation in the Surulere area of Lagos State.

According to MASSOB, Ofido, a known non-violent pro-Biafra activist, was unlawfully arrested and detained by the Lagos State Police Command solely for his affiliation with the movement.

“His wrongful detention was challenged in court, and through the intervention of civil society organisations, he was acquitted by the Lagos State High Court,” the statement noted.

Despite the judicial ruling, MASSOB alleged that security operatives have continued to target Ofido. It claimed that plain-clothed officers from the Lagos Command have been trailing him with the intent to re-arrest him, having already attempted to apprehend him at his business premises.

“This alarming trend of intimidation and threats towards MASSOB members is not an isolated incident,” the group stated. “It represents a broader pattern of state-sanctioned oppression against those peacefully demanding self-determination.”

MASSOB described the actions as violations of fundamental human rights, warning that such practices have no place in a democratic society.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to the non-violent pursuit of Biafra’s actualization, insisting that no amount of arrests, threats, or killings would deter its resolve.

“We remain undeterred in our peaceful struggle for the inalienable rights of the Biafran people. Our pursuit of self-determination will continue, regardless of the persecution we face,” the statement concluded. (The Guardian)