IPOB laments illegal detention of members

ENUGU— THE Indigenous People of Biafra,
IPOB, has condemned the incessant
harassment, arrest and illegal detention of its
members in different prisons and secret cells
across the country.
IPOB members on solidarity march
IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma
Powerful, noted particularly an alleged illegal
detention of one of its members, Bright
Chimezie Ishinwa, in a DSS secret cell.
Powerful said IPOB was also worried about
their members languishing in Port Harcourt
prisons and the state CID headquarters.
Powerful said: “Nevertheless, we expect the
Nigerian government and her security agencies
to do the needful, either to release them on
bail or charge them to court without further
delay, if they are still alive in their custody.
“The Federal High court sitting in Abuja on
February 6, 2017 declared IPOB as a legal
organization but the Nigerian Police and other
security agencies, who do not know the law
are, busy breaking the law by targetting
peaceful members of IPOB.”
He alleged that on April 15, 2017, a top officer
of a police station, ordered the kidnap of IPOB
members who were doing evangelism for the
restoration of the ancient nation of Biafra in
Umuebulu 1 Etche in Etche Local Government
Area of Rivers State.
“When the peaceful evangelism of IPOB family
members were held on April 2, 2017, there was
no arrest or kidnap until April 15, 2017 when
the officer ordered the kidnap of the IPOB
members in the community.
“We, therefore, call on the international
community, the European Union EU, African
Union AU, all the relevant human rights
organizations, men and women of good
conscience around the globe to prevail upon
the Nigeria government and her security
agencies to stop harassing and intimidating
IPOB members and release those who have
been detained illegally in different prisons and
secret cells across the country.”