Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, on Tuesday denied reports that the group was involved in the alleged hijacking of merchant ship carrying foreigners.
Madu who also dismissed the allegation that the group threatened to blow up the ship said MASSOB is non-violent and has no weapon to hold any ship hostage, let alone seizing and threatening to blow it with its passengers.
He said: “I am aware that a militant group sometime gave the Federal Government twenty one-day ultimatum to release Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, failing which they threatened that they will do what will surprise the Nigerian government. May be it is the group, I do not even remember their name but I heard or read about that threat.
“You know that a lot of groups are springing up from the old Eastern Region to agitate for the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra and as far as they are fighting for Biafra, we cannot disown them, but they have their own style which I think the Federal Government of Nigeria understands easily. If you are not violent, they will not understand and they will ignore you. So, we support the group if that is what they have actually done.
“We in MASSOB are not involved in violence, that is why they do not take us seriously. They believe we are illiterate job seekers that are frustrated in life and decided to demand for Biafra. They think that our own is to demonstrate peacefully and they will shoot and kill us and go into jubilation that they have dealt with us, but now, they have seen their match. We support the people if they have actually done that.”
“Any method applied by any Biafra agitating group to ensure that the Federal Government of Nigeria respects its law and court orders is approved by MASSOB, but we in MASSOB have chosen the path of non-violence and we will maintain it until Biafra is achieved.
It was reported yesterday in the media that the pro-Biafra agitators allegedly hijacked a merchant ship and threatened to blow it up with its foreign crew if government authorities do not release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The report alleged that a source from the Defence Ministry confirmed that the hijacking occurred on Friday.
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