The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Stanley Ogoigbe, has refuted the alleged killing of members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) by operatives of the command in Anambra State.
Speaking with newsmen on Saturday, Ogoigbe, said it became imperative for him to personally react to the story on the alleged killing of the MASSOB members, which he described as baseless.
The media was recently awash with reports of a violent clash between members of the pro-Biafra group and the navy personnel in Onitsha, Anambra State, where some members of the group were allegedly killed.
Reacting to the claim, the FOC dismissed the claim insisting that the navy personnel only shot into the air to scare a large number of MASSOB members who were on a protest march towards the Onitsha head bridge, as the protesting youths had already overrun the police on duty and did not injure, let alone, killing a soul.
His words, “No such act was ever committed. The MASOB group was on a protest march. They overran the policemen on duty and were coming towards the navy personnel. As they approached, the navy fired warning shots into the air to scare them away and they all dashed away. Nobody died in the process.
“To our surprise, MASSOB started claiming that the navy has killed two of their men. I don’t know what they wish to achieve with this propaganda, fabricating stories against the navy.
“We just want all well meaning Nigerians to know that no MASSOB member was killed in that area of Anambra State where the navy was keeping peace and carrying out their legitimate duties”.
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