ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has decried the arrest and detention of 24 persons over their alleged link to Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the secessionists.
IPOB alleged that the 24 persons on its list were picked up across various states of the south-east and had been in detention since 2021.
The group further claimed that they have not been seen, nor have they been charged before any court in the country.
The separatist organization, therefore, accused the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army of breach of the fundamental rights of the detainees.
In a statement late Thursday by its Media and Publicity Secretary who deploys the pseudonym, Emma Powerful, the group called on the International Community, to prevail upon the Nigeria Government and her Security Operatives to release arrested innocent Biafrans.
The names of the 24 persons allegedly picked by the Nigerian force include: Ikechukwu Henry, Joy Godwin Udoh aka Idara Gold, Emeka Ngonadi, Barr. Pius I. Awoke, Chinedu Nwoba, Igwe Johnson Dike Ogbonna Joseph Ajah, Kingsley Onovu 9. Ogbonna David, Kenneth Ojima.
Others are; Fortune Okezie, Joseph Okafor Eze, Emmanuel Onyibe Chinonso, Uket Godwin, Ogbonna Christian Ndubuisi, 16. Eze Ernest Chukwuemeka, Ibeleme Tochukwu, Emmanuel Ike, Rev Cletus Egole, Pst Philip Chinedu Egole, Chinonso Anyanwu, Kelechi Okeke, Godspower Chilemu, Chukwuma Nwaokike.
The statement reads: “Just as the Legal Representatives of IPOB posited in their recent press interviews on 17 October, 2022, the lawyers raised alarm over the abduction, illegal detention, and lack of access to over 200 Biafrans by Nigeria Security Agencies.
“Many of these abductees are missing from various detention facilities where they were dumped.
“IPOB has constantly alerted the world over the forceful disappearance of innocent citizens of Biafran both IPOB members and non-IPOB members for being a Biafra struggle sympathiser or a lover of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that is enough to make the overzealous Nigeria terrorist Police and military to kidnap and illegally detain a person incommunicado.
“Biafran youths have become endangered species that are being hunted down, illegally detained and/or extrajudicially executed at will by Nigeria Security Agents.
“We are calling on the International Community, men and women of good conscience to prevail upon the Nigeria Government and her Security Operatives to release numerous innocent Biafran citizens in their detention facilities unconditionally or charge them to court.
“We are aware that some of the Biafran detainees have been araigned in court but yet to be released.
“For example Mazi Chuks Obasi’s case was taken to court a few months ago and justice was secured in his absence from the Court, because the Court ordered for his unconditional release but the Lawless Nigeria Government and its Security Agents refused to release him and nobody has seen him since.
“In a similar way Miss Idara Gold was araigned in a court for the first time after over one year of illegal detention yesterday being 19 October, 2022 after much pressure from IPOB, family, and associates including lawyers.
“We expected that Justice Binta Nyako would have discharged her but unfortunately Binta Nyako in her court reminded Idara Gold to the Suleja prison without considering all the inhumane treatment she has been subjected to in the Military detention facilities.
“We the world wide family of IPOB join the clarion call of IPOB Legal Representatives in calling Nigeria’s compromised Security Officers to release her without delay and All other illegally detained Biafrans abducted, and to stop future illegal abductions of our people.”