A 37-year-old pro-Biafran advocate, Friday Obeta, has been arrested by the Anambra State Police Command over his alleged involvement with the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), a group banned by the government on security grounds.
Obeta was arrested by operatives of the law enforcement agency for allegedly participating in plans by MASSOB to enforce a sit-at-home order on May 30, an action the state government has declared illegal.
According to the police, the suspect was taken into custody after operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Nnewi Sector, received a tip-off about his involvement in plotting the prohibited exercise across the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the arrest on Wednesday, said the exercise was part of efforts to prevent unlawful gatherings and forestall potential security breaches in Anambra.
Ikenga further disclosed that several incriminating items were recovered from the suspect, including a branded T-shirt, an operational identification card of the proscribed group, and a motorcycle.
According to the police spokesperson, Obeta confessed to being a member and informant of the outlawed group and has provided useful information that is aiding ongoing investigations aimed at arresting other members of the group.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, has directed operatives to intensify their onslaught against criminal elements, especially in light of the suspect’s confession.
He also urged officers to step up surveillance and intelligence operations to disrupt any planned unlawful gathering across the state.
