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Army flood S/East: As MASSOB wants republic - Police warn against hoisting Biafran flag - Ijaw youths, MASSOB on collission course in Rivers By Jackson Udom and Bolaji Ogundele, With Agency Reports Sunday, June 1, 2008 There are strong in dications that any moment from now, the much awaited declaration of the Biafra Republic by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), would be made, just as the army has been placed on alert in the South East geo-graphical zone advertisement A drive round the states in the zone revealed the preparedness of the movement to declare its sovereignty despite the heavy presence of the army in the zone. It was learnt that the army authorities, as a result of the development, have drafted in its men in an attempt to nip in the bud the proposed action of MASSOB. This plan is regarded in the army as an affront, especially since the army has the constitutional responsibility of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity and unity. Army personnel now parade the streets of the covered states, carrying out checks on vehicles moving in and out of the zone. The green, red and black colour of the Biafran flag now adorn all the nooks and crannies of the states within the zone. Those who spoke with Sunday Tribune on strict condition of anonymity disclosed that “any moment this week, MASSOB will come out to declare the Republic of Biafra. As you can see, arrangements are already in place to hoist the Biafran flag, symbol of the sovereignty of Biafra all over the zone.” Investigations by Sunday Tribune also revealed that Orlu, Okigwe, Umuahia, Okija and Ihiala, are among the very many areas where the Biafran flag is flying. Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command has warned members of MASSOB in the state to desist from hoisting the Biafran flag or be prepared to face the wrath of the law. The Command’s Spokesman, Mr Charles Muka, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)on Saturday in Asaba that MASSOB was an illegal association. Muka also said the Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr Jacob Oshomogho, had ordered the arrest and prosecution of anyone caught with the flag. NAN learnt that some flags suspected to be that of Biafra were seen hoisted at the Summit Junction, Coker area and Umuagu in the state capital. It was also learnt that no fewer than 15 persons had been arrested and were standing trial at various Magistrates’ courts in Asaba for being members of MASSOB. Some members freely wore vests and caps with MASSOB inscriptions on them whenever they came to courts. An Asaba-based lawyer(names witheld) told NAN that security men should act fast before the situation leads to crisis. He attributed the hoisting of the flag to ignorance on the part of some members of the association. In Port Harcourt, efforts of MASSOB to resuscitate the quest for a Biafran nation came under attack on Friday when Ijaw youths went after hoisted Biafran flags in the city, brought them down and destroyed them. But the leadership of MASSOB in the state claimed it had no knowledge of the said action of the Ijaw youths, claiming that its flag in the other parts of the state had continued to fly. Sunday Tribune gathered that elements of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), the umbrella body of Ijaw youths organisations, went from street to street in the Old Town axis of the city in search of Biafran flags, starting from Borokiri area. Giving reason for the IYC’s action, the Information Officer, Eastern zone of the IYC, Comrade Katetupko Atagwung, said that his members observed early on Friday that strange flags were hoisted all over the area. He added that he did not take the observation seriously until it was discovered in several other streets. At first glance on Churchill Street, he said they did not take the development, which symbolised the presence of Biafra in the state very serious, but said it was when he saw the same flag hoisted somewhere along Enugu Street that his attention was drawn to it. “As I was going to Enugu Street, I met some flags at Churchill road and I was told they were Biafran Flags, so I urgently called the IYC security and they came”, Atagwung said. He, however, warned that the IYC would not allow a re-establishment of Biafra in Rivers state, calling on security operatives in the state to watch the new development, which he said was capable of setting off a major social crisis in the state. ‘Those who live in the midst of the hospitable Rivers people should learn not to take the good disposition of the people of the state for granted. We are not prepared to suffer what our forefathers suffered in the hands of strangers, who turned them into slaves in their own lands. We don’t want a situation where Ibos in our midst will cause another state of unrest for the people of the state’, he warned. But the Regional Administrator, Rivers region of the MASSOB, Chief S.O. Chukwu, denied knowledge of the action of the Ijaw youths, asserting that the State of Biafra was gradually moving towards realising the goal it set. According to him, the Rivers region of MASSOB concluded its 600-plus miles march on the same Friday, which, according to him, meant that the vision of MASSOB is gradually nearing actualisation. “I am not aware of that, but I can tell you that the ones we have in this area, in the Obio/Akpor axis, up to Elele and so on are still flying. Also, I want to inform you that the 686 miles march has been concluded on that Friday and the message is to let people of this state know that Biafra has come to take its place in its land”, said Chukwu.