Five newspaper vendors in Owerri were arrested by the Inspector-General of Police (IG) Intelligent Response Team (IRT) on Monday for allegedly promoting activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Commissioner of Police in Imo, Abutu Yaro, confirmed the arrest but added that the operatives were not from his command.
One of the arrested vendors, Onyebuchi Iwundu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at a police station that the IRT operatives arrested them at Rotibi Street, a popular newspaper circulation street off the Douglas Road in the early hours of Monday.
Mr Iwundu said they were accused of circulating and promoting activities of IPOB, alleging that they were manhandled before being taken to the police station for detention.
The vendor also alleged that the operatives confiscated their papers and money, adding that they had been warned not to circulate newspapers that promote IPOB’s activities.
He listed others arrested alongside him as Isinwa Blessing, Nelson, Micheal and Sakatan.
(NAN)
