Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu
No fewer than 12 persons suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a pro-Biafra group, have been arrested by the Enugu State police command for allegedly mobilising the people for Friday’s sit-at-home order in protest against the continued incarceration of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group had ordered residents of the entire South-east states as well as Rivers, Delta, Cross-River States and Ndigbo all over the country to stay at home on September 23 in solidarity with their protest to facilitate the possible release of Kanu and other members of the group presently remanded in prison custody for an alleged offence bordering on treason.
In a statement made available to jounalists by the state Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, the police command said the persons were arrested on Monday and vowed to arraign them in court.
Giving more details of how they were arrested, the police said its operatives acted on intelligence information and swooped on the pro-Biafra activists while they were allegedly mobilising innocent people.
“Suspects were nabbed inside the popular Ogbete market of Enugu State as they allegedly went into the market with public address system to threaten and inflict fears on the members of the public precisely the marketers not to come to market from yesterday and that if anyone is seen that the person will be dealt with by the group.
“Recovered from suspects were 21 handsets of different types, various leaflets in which some of them read: ‘IPOB for the betterment of your children and that of yourself, please sit at home,’ ‘there will be no work, no school, no business, no market, free Nnamdi Kanu, free Biafra.’
“Also recovered flags suspected to be that of the group with their insignia, public address systems, one wireless microphone. Suspects are helping the operatives in their investigations and will soon be charged to court,” he said.
The command further noted that security has been beefed up by the command around markets and every corner of the state and that people were free to go about their normal legitimate activities without fear.
“In the light of the above, the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force working in partnership with relevant security agencies and relevant stakeholders in the state, has advised their members of the public, particularly law abiding people of the state not to allow themselves, children and wards be used by any person under any guise in the state to cause mischief as anyone caught will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
