The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), in response to comments made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, revealed that they were offered bribes by the ex-President. Punch Newspapers reports that the MASSOB Director of Information, Samuel Edeson, said:
“In 2006, while Uwazuruike was in Keffi prison, Obasanjo invited us to Aso Rock where he promised us millions of naira. He also promised to send us out of the country for us to forget Uwazuruike to die in prison. But we rejected the offer.”
MASSOB also said contrary to OBJ’s claim that the Biafra agenda is dead, they are active and still pushing forward. Obasanjo while presenting a paper at an event said Biafra was a dead issue, adding that:
“No right-thinking person who has experienced the horror of war will ever agitate for more war. Nigeria cannot afford to go from Boko Haram insurgency to any other insurgency under any guise. And on no account should we wittingly or unwittingly allow this to happen again.”
The group in its response also said:
“MASSOB wishes to tell Obasanjo that Biafra is not dead and will never die. Obasanjo should have known that despite the killing of over 1,000 MASSOB members at Umulolo, Okigwe, in Imo State, on March 29, 2003.”
“The killing of MASSOB members in Onitsha, Anambra State in 2006/2007, and the detention of MASSOB members in various prisons in Nigeria never stopped our agitation.”
Series of protests have been going on in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria, calling for the creation of a Biafra, and the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and fore-runner in the agitations for a sovereign Igbo nation. Nnamdi Kanu was charged for treason by the Federal Government of Nigeria, and is currently facing trial.