The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), has warned that Nigeria would disintegrate, if its leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike were arrested by the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), adding that he has no constitutional power to arrest him.
The group gave the warning in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Reacting to a statement credited to the MASSOB leader that Buhari was planning to clamp down on him using the organisation’s Regional administrator for Nnewi South Region, Tony A. Nwodo, said General Buhari has no constitutional power to arrest Uwazuruike and warned that such alleged plan if carried out, would result in disintegration of the country.
Nwodo said: “Uwazuruike is our spiritual and physical leader, Buhari cannot arrest him. It is like saying you will arrest the Sultan of Sokoto, who is the religious leader of the muslims.
“He should first arrest Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos State, who is now into partisan politics for vowing that Igbo living in Lagos State should perish in the lagoon if they failed to vote for APC gubernatorial candidate.
“If Uwazuruike is arrested, Nigeria will disintegrate. By virtue of Uwazuruike’s position, you can’t arrest him. Buhari should focus on how to provide dividends of democracy to Nigerians and not to look for perceived enemies to clamp down upon. We are not in the days of the military that based its actions on dictatorship.”
Reiterating that MASSOB would continue to struggle for a sovereign state of Biafra, Nwodo stated that no amount of threats would deter the group from the struggle.
“We are a non-violent group fighting for a sovereign state of Biafra because Nigerian government has continued to marginalise Igbo nation.
“We will not relent in the struggle and nobody can threaten us, no matter how highly placed,” he added.
