From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

Factional leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Uchenna Madu, said the group has vacated its headquarters, Freedom House in Okwe, Imo State and closed down all other camps as part of its internal reorganisation for strategic growth.

He also said  in the spirit of Biafra brotherhood, the group had forgiven its founder, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike and that he was now free to return to his father’s compound in Okwe  which is the headquarters of  the pro Biafra movement.

This was just as the movement noted that Uwazuruike’s expulsion and three years exile from his father’s compound which houses the MASSOB headquarters was enough punishment for trying to derail the Biafra cause.

In a statement by Samuel Edeson, national director of information, yesterday, said MASSOB, under the leadership of Madu had forgiven its former leader, Uwazuruike.

According to him, the decision to vacate MASSOB headquarters at Okwe and to close down all other camps was taken after the meeting of the national leadership of the movement under Madu. He said the movement would continue with its non-violent agitation until the independent state of Biafra is actualised.

“The national leadership of MASSOB has forgiven Chief Ralph Uwazurike, former leader of the movement who ran away from Okwe on March 15, 2014 and was subsequently expelled from the movement on  November 30, 2015. He  is now free to return to his family house in Okwe which incidentally houses MASSOB headquarters.

“We considered  Uwazuruike’s three years exile from his father’s compound as enough  punishment for  trying to derail the agitation for selfish interest.  MASSOB has handed over Uwazuruike’s atrocities against the people of Biafrans into the hands of  Chukwu Okike Abiama and  Igbo ancestors.”

MASSOB, under the leadership of our  leader, Madu, would continue to operate non-violently from our new office, no more camps with respect and regards to other genuine  pro Biafra groups,” Edeson said.

“It is part of our internal reorganisation for strategic growth and positive functions.”

MASSOB wishes to inform Imo State government, security agents and  Okwe,  host  community that starting from March 5, 2017, MASSOB ceases to operate in Okwe and any group of persons or individuals found  within the family compound of Uwazuruike or inside the former MASSOB Freedom House, Okwe, are  not MASSOB members but  criminals.”