UWAZURUIKE’S FACTION WITHDRAWS FROM NIGER DELTA AVENGERS AS MASSOB REACTS

The Uchenna Madu-led faction of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has faulted the Ralph Uwazuruike-led faction which recently distanced itself from the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

According to the Nation, the group in a statement issued in Enugu reaffirmed its support for the NDA and accused Ralph Uwazuruike and his associates of not clamoring for Biafra. It said: “the latest development has further shown and proved to the Biafran people that the man called Ralph Uwazuruike and his associates like Sunny Okoroafor are not existing or clamoring for Biafra. “How can a Biafran person in his or her right senses deny or condemn the Niger Delta Avengers and other genuine Niger Delta groups agitating for Biafra?

“If reformed and only one MASSOB under the leadership of our leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, is wrong in supporting the Niger Delta Avengers on their activities for Biafra actualization and restoration, why is it that other pro-Biafra groups have not condemned MASSOB?” The group insisted that Ralph Uwazuruike was collaborating with the federal government through the DSS to scuttle and sabotage efforts made for independence of Biafra from Nigeria.

It said: “MASSOB wish to remind Biafran people that it’s on record which can never be erased that Ralph Uwazuruike was expelled from MASSOB on 30th November, 2015 at MASSOB headquarters, Okwe for numerous criminal activities, open/shameful political romance with Federal Government, sabotage against genuine Biafran activities, signing of documents for enthronement of one indivisible Nigeria, etc.

“After a week of the expulsion, he quickly formed his new group called Biafra Independent Movement (BIM). The MASSOB faction said Uwazuruike is no longer part of MASSOB, including his BIM members and cautioned them to should stop deceiving themselves by claiming to be MASSOB members. Meanwhile, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari appears to be in a dilemma on how to dissuade the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) from carrying out further attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region, while it tries to broker a dialogue with stakeholders.

Vanguard reports that the minister of state for petroleum Ibe Kachikwu is currently battling get militants to accept that they would no longer blow up pipelines after repairs by the oil companies are carried on the oil installations. Kachikwu has implored stakeholders to persuade the militants to allow repair work on oil installations while the negotiations go on.