Sustained Abduction And Detention Of Biafrans By Nigerian Security Forces

 Sustained Abduction And Detention Of Biafrans By Nigerian Security Forces The clampdown on innocent Biafrans continues as unarmed members o...

 Sustained Abduction And Detention Of Biafrans By Nigerian Security Forces

The clampdown on innocent Biafrans continues as unarmed members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Igbo youths, the elderly and toddlers get picked up from different locations in Biafraland by the combined team of heavily armed Nigeria security operatives. Recently, I have been inundated with distress calls from families whose loved ones were abducted at the wee hours of the night and taken into captivity in unknown locations. This onslaught is effectively being carried out at the behest of the governors of the respective States of the South-East, under the guise of searching for the members of Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Worst hit in this violence and heinous attack on the people's fundamental rights are Abia, Imo and Anambra States. I therefore, call on the security agents involved, to suspend these unlawful arrests and the illegal detentions of innocent citizens who are not seen in possession of any form of arms or involved in the commission of any crime.

Only yesterday, Fulani traders in Enugu State, brazenly took to the streets, brandishing AK 47 rifles and other dangerous weapons. These are prohibited firearms in Nigeria. They were attacking both the Nigerian security personnel and civilians in broad daylight without restraint. It was reported that three policemen lost their lives in the unprovoked attack while goods belonging to Igbo brothers and sisters worth over ten billion naira, were reduced to trash.

The pernitent question here begging for answer is: who is supplying these Fulani criminals the prohibited firearms with which they are wrecking havoc even against the Igbos on their own soil? These firearms it should be noted, are all well stacked in various places of business where these Fulani Islamist killers are located.

The psychic imagination of the existence of One-Nigeria to some grossly misinformed and uninformed people, is alarmingly disappointing. Protagonists of Nigeria as big as it is geographically with vast human capital, should be able to also have high-technological gadgets to be able to pre-emptively and precisely dictate the mass movement of these high grade weapons and also stop their possessors from inflicting harm on the innocent. If therefore there should be any justifiable arrest, such should commence from the enclave of Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani killer herdsmen and bandits. These have over the years, constituted themselves as nuisances and vampires, ravaging the entire Northern region.

Interestingly, these Islamic killers have even made confessions in diverse fora, that the same Nigerian government that is authorizing the random arrest and detention of innocent Igbos, is undeniably, the very sponsor of terrorism across Nigeria. It is the government that is supplying them arms and ammunition whose usage have caused enormous destruction of life and property. Till date, the Nigerian Presidency and the government have remained suspiciously complicit in their handling of insecurity in the country.

How many of these Fulani terrorists have so far been arrested in the North or elsewhere even as terrorism activities involving them hold sway? Bandits and Fulani killer herdsmen armed with sophiscated weapons openly operate without any action against them by the Nigerian security operatives. They are feeding lucratively from the enterprise. These murderers are treasured and treated with largesse by the same government that is speaking from both sides of the mouth.

It would have made a lot of rational sense if these people being arrested in the South-East were in anyway involved in the commission of any known crime. But on the contrary, the innocent with the aged, pregnant and nursing mothers, youths and toddlers inclusive, are being  frequently arrested and taken into captivity by the security agents.

Today, we have a record of over hundreds of our aged fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters being detained in the most dreaded detention facilities of the Nigerian police in Abuja. They have been in custody for over two months. The height of the inhuman treatment being meted to these innocent detainees is that they are being denied access to even we, their lawyers and family members. Majority of them who were inflicted with gunshot injuries, are abandoned in cell without access to medical treatment. This is indeed gut-wrenching and heartbreaking.

The Federal Government of Nigeria is leveraging on the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), to ensure that these innocent people are held in perpetuity, since the applications filed for the enforcement of their fundamental rights, cannot be heard now that courts are on total lockdown.

We have consequently notified Foreign Governments and institutions, including Amnesty International, on this gross violation of Citizens' Rights presently being perpetuated by the Nigerian security agents at the behest of Fulani-lsd Federal Government. This outgoing onslaught will rather promote further civil unrest than granting the desired peace. Let there be a stop to this abduction/kidnapping of innocent citizens. Also, we call for the immediate release of all those innocent persons still being held in captivity.

Let wise counsel prevail!

Signed:

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq.

IPOB/Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's General/Lead Counsel