Army Declares MASSOB Directive on Civil War Memorials Illegal, Warns Against Unauthorised Gatherings
By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Nigerian Army, through Headquarters Operation UDO KA, has described as illegal and provocative a directive reportedly issued by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), instructing churches across the South-East and parts of the South-South to hold memorial services for victims of the Nigerian Civil War. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, said the military empathises with families who lost loved ones during the civil war and recognises the sacrifices made in preserving Nigeria’s unity. According to the statement, the memories of those who died during the conflict remain “indelible in the nation’s consciousness,” but stressed that there are already established national events recognised by the Federal Government for honouring fallen heroes. The Army listed such occasions to include the Arm...