At least four persons were shot on Friday as the police clashed with members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra at Orji in Owerri, Imo State.
Our correspondent gathered that the pro-Biafra activists, who were on a march, ran into police operatives, which led to a fracas in which policemen shot no fewer than four MASSOB members.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that, while the wounded persons were taken to an undisclosed hospital, the police arrested some of the protesters as others fled.
The police spokesperson, Orlando Ikeokwu, who confirmed the clash to our correspondent, alleged that the MASSOB members attempted to snatch firearms from policemen.
Ikeokwu said, “On July 23, 2020, at about 2015hrs, a group of persons claiming to be members of MASSOB, in an attempt to snatch rifles, attacked some policemen on duty around New Owerri area and inflicted machete injuries on two of the policemen.
“Also, on July 24, 2020, a group of persons numbering about 100, claiming to be MASSOB members, also attacked a team of policemen attached to Orji Division, along the Owerri/Okigwe Road by the Orji Flyover.
“The hoodlums, while trying to dispossess the policemen of their service rifles, also inflicted machete wounds on the policemen. The attack was successfully repelled with arrests made, while some others ran away with various degree of injuries.”
PUNCH.
