One Killed, 10 Injured As Police, MASSOB Clash In Onitsha

 

A clash between the police and members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, yesterday, led to the death of one person in Onitsha, while 10 others sustained various degrees of injuries, according to reports.

According to an eyewitness, trouble started when a motorist was allegedly flagged down along the Onitsha/Owerri Road in Onitsha by a police team on surveillance and as he obeyed, argument reportedly ensued between the motorist and the police.

The MASSOB members around, who have been controlling the traffic since the yuletide season began, felt they should come to the rescue of the man and reportedly intervened, leading to heated argument which resulted in a clash between them and the policemen. One MASSOB member died in the process.

The angry MASSOB members barricaded the ever-busy Onitsha/Owerri road for two hours and made bonfire with fairly used tyres, forcing traffic flow to divert to the Obosi by-pass.

The corpse of the dead MASSOB member was said to have been taken to the Awada Police Station.

Onitsha Police Area commander, Mr. Benjamin Wordu however denied that there was a clash between the police and the MASSOB members. He insisted that trouble started when MASSOB and a rival group had a bloody clash.