Enugu Residents Celebrate MASSOB Members’ Release

Residents of Enugu , the capital city of Enugu State have expressed happiness over the unconditional release on the order of president Goodluck  Ebele Jonathan,  of the  leader of the Movement For the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph   Uwazurike, and 280 other  members of the group arrested last week by the police in Enugu for alleged treason and felony.

Our correspondent who went round the Enugu metropolis and its environs to get the reaction of people reports that  the people expressed gratitude to President Jonathan for ordering that all members of the pressure group  being held in  parts of the South East geo – political zone  be released unconditionally.

Describing the presidential order as a step in the right direction, the people concerned, also commended the president for his wisdom in realizing that members of MASSOB do not constitute any form of threat or impediment to Nigeria as one united entity.  Members of MASSOB, they further observed, have from the beginning been conducting themselves in a most peaceful manner, posing no threat to members of the public, or Nigeria as an independent nation.

It would be recalled that before the affected members of the pressure group regained their freedom Thursday,  they had been in prison custody as ordered by a  magistrate court sitting in Enugu and presided over  by  Denis Ekoh.

At the resumed hearing of the case Thursday, about 1.15 pm, the Enugu State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Emeribe Victor Chukwudi , announced the intention of the police to withdraw all the four count charges levelled against the accused members of MASSOB.

In his response, the defense counsel led by Mr. C.O.Z Obekwe , condemned the charges the police slammed on the accused and advised the police to be careful the way they do things, and  “stop disgracing the society”.

In his judgment on the DPP’s application,  magistrate Ekoh, said “accordingly, all the accused persons are hereby discharged unconditionally, and the case struck out”.

Immediately the verdict was given, the exited MASSOB members took to the streets of Enugu in celebration of their unconditional freedom.

Addressing newsmen  shortly after they were released, the leader of  MASSOB, Chief Uwazuruike, declared that   he was not deterred by their incarceration, especially against the backdrop  that they did not commit any offence against any person, group or Nigeria as a nation.