Army Reacts to MASSOB Church Memorial Directive

The Nigerian Army has described a directive by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) on church memorial services for civil war victims as illegal, warning that it is capable of disrupting existing peace in the South-East.

In a statement issued on Friday in Enugu, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, said the directive was being monitored by Headquarters Operation UDO KA.

“The attention of Headquarters Operation UDO KA has been drawn to an illegal directive issued by MASSOB, directing churches in the South-East and parts of the South-South to hold memorial services in honour of civil war victims on May 30,” he said.

The Army noted that while it “empathises deeply with families who lost loved ones during the civil war and acknowledge the sacrifices made to keep Nigeria united,” the memories of those who died “remain indelible in our national consciousness.”

Ayeni said it was important to stress that there are already established national occasions recognised by the Federal Government to honour fallen heroes, including the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, the Nigerian Army Day Celebration, and Nigeria’s Independence Day, which provide lawful platforms for reflection, unity and remembrance.

He added that Operation UDO KA “remembers with compassion the sacrifices of the fallen heroes which can never be forgotten,” but insisted that “true honour lies in unity, peace, and lawful remembrance, not in illegal directives by some irredentists aimed at sowing division and causing panic in the region.”

According to him, “the directive by MASSOB is therefore illegal, provocative, and must be disregarded by all,” adding that “any gathering or activity outside the framework of lawful national commemorations is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

The statement further read: “The Nigerian Army is aware that sympathisers of MASSOB and IPOB resolved to issue this illegal order to create chaos.”

Ayeni advised clerics, innocent citizens, and youths to stay away from such plans, which he said were designed to destabilise peace in the South-East, adding that churches and residents should continue their normal activities without fear of intimidation.

He warned that “any individual or group that disrupts public peace or religious activities will face the full weight of the law,” stressing that the Armed Forces, in collaboration with other security agencies, remain committed to safeguarding lives and property and ensuring peace across the South-East.