SSS detains, tortures man for 36 days for being MASSOB member

Emmanuel Ubaji, a petty trader residing in Akure, hails from Ebonyi State, South East of Nigeria. Like many people living below the poverty line in most parts of the country, Ubaji struggles daily to eke out a living from selling used bottles and other petty things around him.
In spite of his condition, he still has the burden of fending for his mother in the village.
Emmanuel Ubaji
Emmanuel Ubaji
On November, 27, 2014, Mr. Ubaji began a journey necessitated by a distress call from the village that his mother was in a critical health condition.
But he never got home to see his ailing mother.
He took off from Akure, but on reaching Ogwashukwu, the vehicle he was traveling in was stopped by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA).
After a search on passengers, he was singled out of the vehicle. The NDLEA officials held him down, saying they were suspicion he was a criminal.
Despite finding nothing drug-related on him, the NDLEA officials sent him back to Akure and handed him over to the State Security Service where he was detained.
Mr. Ubaji, 33, recalled his painful ordeal, fighting back tears as he spoke to our correspondent.
“They searched my bag thoroughly, they found nothing, but only my ID card of my membership of Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra(MASSOB) and the drugs I bought for my sick mother. That is how they arrested me and detained me until the following day and from there they returned me to Akure and handed me over to the SSS,” he said.
The State Security operatives dumped Mr. Ubaji in a cell, claiming they were investigating him.
While in cell, he was tortured,and deprived of good food and medical care.
Family members were also not allowed to reach him. As a result of maltreatment, he fell terribly ill and was at the point of death.
“When they saw my condition and thought I was going to die, they decided to let me go,” he said.
Mr. Ubaji was released on December 30, 2014, about a month and six days after he was first detained, and sent away away without his money and other belongings seized from him before his incarceration.
“I went back several times to collect the money, which was N44,500 and other items, but instead of giving them back to me, they beat me and threatened to re-arrest me.
“They said to me, ‘you are a MASSOB man and you are still coming here to ask for something, you better forget about them or you will find yourself in trouble,” he lamented.
Mr. Ubaji has taken his case to the Office of the Public Defender, a department of the Ondo State Ministry of Justice that is concerned with helping the downtrodden, especially those being oppressed, get justice.
The efforts of the Public Defender through petitions to the office of the SSS in the state has yet to yield any meaningful result.
Its Director, and a legal practitioner, Deji Ogundare, said the security agency was even making further attempt to arrest Mr. Ubaji, whom they claimed belonged to an outlawed organisation.
“We made efforts to seek protection for the man, who was detained for over one month, but the security organisation was becoming difficult, asking him to come to them and we know that it is another attempt to re-arrest him and detain him.
“Our stand is if they thought they had anything against Mr. Ubaji, they should arraign him in the law court and not to detain him without trial, and if you cannot try him, then release him,” Mr. Ogundare said.
He said efforts at getting the seized and other items released did not work because the SSS officials claimed they were keeping the money and other items as exhibit against Mr. Ubaji.
Mr. Ubaji said he had to go into hiding for fear of being detained for another long period of time without any help.
“As I speak to you, I am still battling with my health and i don’t think I will survive another attack,” he said.
He said he wanted the SSS officials involved to be brought to book and his money and belongings released to him.
“I am a MASSOB member. MASSOB is a law-abiding organisation. I have not done anything wrong and I don’t know why they are persecuting me because of my membership of MASSOB,” he said.
Asked if he had any regrets being a member of the organisation, he declared: “I have no regrets and I will remain a member of the group.”
Efforts to get the SSS officials in Ondo to respond were unsuccessful as they claimed they could not talk to the press, saying all enquiries must go to their Abuja Headquarters.
At their Abuja headquarters, the spokesperson for the agency, Marilyn Ogar, did not answer or return calls seeking comment. She also did not respond to a text message sent to her.

These massob rascals should shut up and stop using tribalism to garner sympathy.




Imagine them saying that rev king should be released.

“I am a MASSOB member. MASSOB is a law-abiding organisation

You are wrong here

Mr. Ubaji, whom they claimed belonged to an outlawed organisation.

Now that being said the SSS should be sued for every penny those people have. How do you subject a person to that amount of inhumanity just because you claim he is a member of an outlawed group? That is a minor offence as MASSOB has not been designated as a terror group which makes you able to detain without trial for long. If you feel he has broken the law, why put him in custody for so long only to release him without trial, this shows that the SSS are not being sincere and just being clueless as usual.

They had no right to hold him for so long, deprive him food and (allegedly) torture him. It is wickedness.

He is a MASSOB mole in the SW, the DSS should as a matter of urgency re-arrest him and get more information about other members of MASSOB ilving in the SW, they are dangerous elements that should be liquidated.

eistien:
These massob rascals should shut up and stop using tribalism to garner sympathy.




Imagine them saying that rev king should be released.

What sympathy exactly?

The time you open up u brain good enough to understand things, that's the minute your life would get better.

So when Obj was released from prison he deserved it right?

PentiumPro:
He is a MASSOB mole in the SW, the DSS should as a matter of urgency re-arrest him and get more information about other members of MASSOB ilving in the SW, they are dangerous elements that should be liquidated.

More dangerous than OPC touts right?
SMH for you.

Please goan put on some clothes

Mrbigman1:


What sympathy exactly?

The time you open up u brain good enough to understand things, that's the minute your life would get better.

So when Obj was released from prison he deserved it right?

Its no longer the northerners that you have problems with again, it the the yorubas, bros abeg change ur mentality.

Mrbigman1:


More dangerous than OPC touts right?
SMH for you.

Please goan put on some clothes

Sharraaap! What is a low lifer MASSOB member doing in Akure? He should be investigated further. The DSS guys are just uninterested in the case but his little money.

U arrest someone in delta and send him back to Akure. I really dnt understand this.

All OPC and MEND members should be in jail by now cos I dnt see association as been treasonous.
And pls try know the meaning of MASSOB before you rant.
An unarmed person u send to cell and tortured for a month without good reason.

Is that how to exercise power?
Meanwhile OPC members wia intimidating them during election and dey wia shut down like a millipede, na to show power for unarmed individual.

God need to have a re-think about this country.

Dats all....

PentiumPro:

Sharraaap! What is a low lifer MASSOB member doing in Akure? He should be investigated further. The DSS guys are just uninterested in the case but his little money.

Madam highlifer, I hail thee.

How old are you to start with?

Plus lemme remind you that his of the movement not a soldier.

And please what's it in Akure that's making you fidget like a wet pussy?

Mrbigman1:


Madam highlifer, I hail thee.

How old are you to start with?

Plus lemme remind you that his of the movement not a soldier.

And please what's it in Akure that's making you fidget like a wet pussy?

Stick to the issues! MASSOB is an outlaw organization. Yes or No?
I don't run on emotional fuel, I critique issues based on facts presented
I'm sure he was not the only Igbo traveling in that bus going to the East, why were others not arrested?
He was carrying the ID of an outlaw organization with a running battle with the Nigerian security agencies, he was in possession of drugs (probably prescription drugs), those are enough ground for him to be put aside for further probing, but your type will not recognize such fact but you are more interested in the fact that he is an Igbo man unjustly treated. #Victimmentality

eistien:

Its no longer the northerners that you have problems with again, it the the yorubas, bros abeg change ur mentality.

What mentality please?

U said he should be re-arrest and tortured right?

U also said how grievous you are for a request to grant amnesty to rev. King right?
And I answered you.

Why are u spooning up talks of north and west here?

Do u lack points? Call your people to help you and stop jumping like a toddler

PentiumPro:

Stick to the issues! MASSOB is an outlaw organization. Yes or No?
I don't run on emotional fuel, I critique issues based on facts presented
I'm sure he was not the only Igbo traveling in that bus going to the East, why were others not arrested?

Dose the law not allow freedom of association?

Being a massob members is not outlawed, Engaging in outrageous act is the sin.

So OPC members are inlawed shey? I need to get things right.

The man was unarmed and without heavy drugs.

Another question is, why is it that NDLEA staff asking someone to be arrested based on association?

Is dia business no more drugs?

The day they stopped me in yenogua, I thought them a lesson. Foolish people who dnt even know why dey re dia.

Mrbigman1:


Dose the law not allow freedom of association?

Being a massob members is not outlawed, Engaging in outrageous act is the sin.

So OPC members are inlawed shey? I need to get things right.

The man was unarmed and without heavy drugs.

Another question is, why is it that NDLEA staff asking someone to be arrested based on association?

Is dia business no more drugs?

The day they stopped me in yenogua, I thought them a lesson. Foolish people who dnt even know why dey re dia.

I guess you just want to push this issue into the realm of the ridiculous for you to conclude that MASSOB is a legitimate assembly.
In sane government, you will never hear about MASSOB, OPC or MEND, but GEJ encouraged them to become more active in the period leading to the election for his selfish purpose.
Good day, I've got bills to pay

PentiumPro:

Stick to the issues! MASSOB is an outlaw organization. Yes or No?
I don't run on emotional fuel, I critique issues based on facts presented
I'm sure he was not the only Igbo traveling in that bus going to the East, why were others not arrested?
He was carrying the ID of an outlaw organization with a running battle with the Nigerian security agencies, he was in possession of drugs (probably prescription drugs), those are enough ground for him to be put aside for further probing, but your type will not recognize such fact but you are more interested in the fact that he is an Igbo man unjustly treated. #Victimmentality

Lwkmd!!!

Prescription drugs now calls for arrest?
Lmao.

Mtcheww.

I need to see DSS cell and jails filled with OPC armed members first then I can now agree for the arrest of an unarmed members.

Dia is a big difference between armed member and unarmed members.

U can't see a cultist who's putting on red and black or what so ever and arrest him, what wrong has he done?

He has to be a crime suspect for God's sake.
And please pay your bills

PentiumPro:
He is a MASSOB mole in the SW, the DSS should as a matter of urgency re-arrest him and get more information about other members of MASSOB ilving in the SW, they are dangerous elements that should be liquidated.

What do you have to say about Opc and Boko haram are they not dangerous elements?

Why Shld the sss re arrest him again why did you say such a misrable statement from ur stupid mouth? Don't you read and understand what have happend? The massob man is an innocent of the allegation the charge him?...and you are still sayin the Shld re arrest him u must be very stupid ****mad fellow