Police Arrest Suspected MASSOB Member in Anambra Over Planned May 30 Sit-at-Home Order

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a suspected member of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), in connection with a planned illegal sit-at-home order scheduled for May 30, 2025.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the arrest is part of ongoing efforts to curb unlawful activities and prevent security threats across the state.

The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Friday Obeta, was apprehended by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in the Nnewi Sector, following credible intelligence. Items recovered from him include a motorcycle, a MASSOB-branded T-shirt, and an identification card linked to the group.

Ikenga revealed that Obeta has confessed to being a member and informant for the proscribed group and is currently cooperating with investigators to help identify and apprehend other members.

“The suspect confessed to being a member and an informant to the proscribed group and has provided useful information aiding our ongoing investigation,” the statement read.

Reacting to the development, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, commended the RRS team for their swift action and urged them to continue leveraging intelligence to dismantle such networks.

This arrest comes amid heightened security operations across the South-East aimed at clamping down on separatist groups like MASSOB and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), particularly ahead of May 30—a date historically marked by sit-at-home orders that have previously resulted in violence, disruption of economic activities, and loss of lives.

The Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining peace and warned against any form of illegal assembly or enforcement of unauthorized orders in the state.