From Steve Oko, Umuahia
The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB has raised an alarm over what it called “house to house search ” for its members by security operatives .
IPOB in a press statement Thursday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, warned security agencies against “testing the will ” of the group.
In the statement entitled :”Enough is Enough “, the pro -Biafra group expressed fury over the continued harassment and toture of its members by security operatives while terrorists were receiving state pardon.
The statement read in part :”We want to place the world on notice that the Nigeria Police Force, Army and DSS once again have started their normal house to house search of IPOB family members and those suspected to be IPOB supporters in Biafraland.
“On 18th of August 2020, the Nigeria army and police in their usual gestapo manner, akin to the Nazi era in Europe, abducted Mazi Igwe Ogbonnaya our IPOB Ebonyi State Coordinator for no crime other than being a Biafran.
“This provocative haunding of our people has continued amid killings, maimings and raping of our women by rampaging Fulani herdsmen in our communities which the same security agencies have not only pampered but allowed to continue unabated.
“It’s very sad to note that the security operatives abducted Mazi Igwe Ogbonnaya in less than a week after burying his young wife who died after a brief illness. This young man was abducted from his home at Ugwulangwu Ohaozara LGA Ebonyi State by terrorists in police and army uniforms.
“Similarly, the Nigeria security operatives subjected an innocent woman that recently gave birth to torture on 16th of August 2020 at her husband house in Oji River LGA of Enugu state. This happened early in the morning by 4.30am when security operatives were forcefully breaking into their compound. The woman was beaten with her newborn baby, while anybody suspected to be member or supporter of IPOB was equally beaten up by the overzealous security personnel.
“The Nigerian army and police have continued to arrest IPOB members without provocation while treating Boko Haram terrorists with kid gloves. Today many IPOB members and Biafra agitators have continued to languish in various police detention facilities yet terrorists are being granted state pardon with rehabilitation packages.”
IPOB demanded an end of every persecution of its members while seeking the intervention of the international community.
” We demand immediate stoppage of the incessant harassment and arrest of IPOB family members in different parts of Biafraland.
“We are particularly upset by the recent arrest of IPOB Coodinator in Ebonyi State; and the intimidation of an innocent woman in Oji river LGA of Enugu State by security operatives under the guise of searching for Radio Biafra station.
“This continued illegal abduction and kidnapping of innocent people in our land must stop. The Nigeria government and her security operatives should stop testing our will.
“We ,therefore, call on Ebonyi State Governor Eng.Dave Umahi and his counterparts in the South East and South South to release Biafra agitators arrested in their respective states before its too late.
“We also call on the UK high Commission in Nigeria, Amnesty International in Nigeria, UK, US Embassy in Abuja, UNDP in Nigeria and other countries high commissions and embassies in Nigeria to prevail on Nigeria Government and these governors to release our people abducted illegally before it becomes too late.”
