Security
By Anthony Isibor
According to the International Society for Civic Liberties and Rule of Law, INTERSOCIETY, a human rights group, the women were mostly between the ages of 18 and 25 years.
The oldest among them is being between the ages of 27 and 39 including mothers, and the newly married. And among those in the 18 and 25 years age bracket are university admission seekers, salesgirls, hairdressing/plaiting and tailoring apprentices, fresh university undergraduates, etc. There are also hospital staff and a Day-Care proprietress, among those in 27 and 39 years age bracket.
The male abductees are also of productive age bracket (18 years and 35 years and two are in their late 50s and mid-60s) including traders, trade apprentices, panel beaters, secondary school leavers, university admission seekers, etc.
All personal belongings of the 75 abductees including women’s handbags and their contents, cash sums, mobile phones, identity cards, etc were taken away by soldiers till date, and each of 55 women among them were forced to wear in Army captivity same underwear worn at the point of her abduction over four months ago
“Some of the Igbo Christians were abducted between 7 pm and 8 pm in Obigbo and environs on their way home from work and held secretly for days at Headquarters of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt before bundled to the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja, others were abducted during similar, if not same hours and bundled to Obinze Army Barracks in Owerri, Imo State from where they were disappeared and surfaced the next day at Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja,” it said.
It said that the abductees were secretly held outside public or their families’ knowledge or information for over four months. And this was done amidst grave inhuman conditions and without a court trial. They were only released after four months of advocacy campaigns and public outcries.
“Their abduction and captivity were also done amidst grave inhuman conditions and without a court trial. According to testimonies of most of the freed abductees, ‘they were transferred to DSS and Police facilities after being held in Army captivity for months’. In other words, they were transferred to DSS and Nigeria Police facilities a few weeks before they regained freedom through Court bails following our advocacy campaigns and public outcries.”
The Intersociety also condemned the act as it is contrary to the laws and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to unlawfully arrest and detain persons without trial or bail.
“The existing laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria including Decided Cases (Case-Laws), the Armed Forces Act of 2004 and the 1999 Constitution, the Nigerian Army or any other branch of the Armed Forces is disempowered from arresting, detaining, investigating and prosecuting civilian citizens not subject to the Armed Forces Act of 2004 and the Nigerian Security Agencies Act of 2004, governing the conducts of DSS, the Service is disempowered from usurping the core duties of the Nigeria Police Force such as investigation, arrest, detention, and prosecution of civilian citizens or their discharge and acquittal. DSS is also disempowered by the referenced laws including Sections 35 and 36 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution from accepting civilian citizens abducted or illegally arrested and held for months by any branch of the Armed Forces particularly the Nigerian Army for the purpose of incarcerating them further and unlawfully without trial. The Nigeria Police Force as lawful or authorized investigating, arresting, detaining and prosecuting authority is barred by Law from holding civilian citizens without public knowledge and trial outside the constitutionally prescribed periods,” it said.
| 1 | Ijeoma Francisca | 39 | Mama Nnamdi |
| 2 | Pauline Anyanwu | 40 | Ekpere Odinanka |
| 3 | Nwosu Abigail | 41 | Nwoji Mary |
| 4 | Goodness Kaima | 42 | Rosemary Ogudike, |
| 5 | Uchendu Priscilla | 43 | Happiness Odinaka |
| 6 | Oluchi Mercy | 44 | Georgina Umunze |
| 7 | Ujunwa Ndubuisi | 45 | Ngozi White |
| 8 | Erica Ndubuisi | 46 | Atumofe Charity |
| 9 | Bridget Dede | 47 | Atumofe Precious |
| 10 | Cynthia Evoh | 48 | Amaka Ebere |
| 11 | Sandra Evoh | 49 | Clementina Obiageli |
| 12 | Sarah Alo | 50 | Success Florence |
| 13 | Uwaoma Queen | 51 | Dike Amara |
| 14 | Mirabel Angel, | 52 | Kelechi Orji |
| 15 | Diri Ibe | 53 | Ukaamaka Oluchi |
| 16 | Mercy Chidinma, | 54 | Joyce Igwe |
| 17 | Stephanie Sunday | 55 | Ujunwa Felix |
| 18 | Tina Emeka | 56 | Precious Ibe |
| 19 | Ebube Aneto | 57 | Okonkwo Peter |
| 20 | Peace Isaac | 58 | Basil Anyanwu |
| 21 | Chioma Isaac | 59 | Apostle Collins |
| 22 | Chidinma Ukachukwu | 60 | Emeajokwu Bright |
| 23 | Onwuka Uzoma | 61 | Nonso Isaac |
| 24 | Amadi Chinasa | 62 | Kennedy Samuel |
| 25 | Amarachukwu Believe, | 63 | Ugwu Odinnaka |
| 26 | Joy Anozie, | 64 | Hossana Gregory |
| 27 | Blessing Paulina | 65 | Ambrose Kenechukwu |
| 28 | Modesta Umezie, | 66 | Timothy Onyeama |
| 29 | Mba Asiegbu | 67 | Raphael Adam |
| 30 | Grace Anwulika | 68 | Lucky Okolie |
| 31 | Ekene Silver, | 69 | Richard Okpara |
| 32 | Eberechi Ibe | 70 | Emmaus God-Day |
| 33 | Peace Amaka | 71 | Chibuike Andrew |
| 34 | Okafor Uloma | 72 | Kenneth Onuigbo |
| 35 | Emmanuella Oluchukwu | 73 | Patrick Uzoma |
| 36 | Ebere Uchechi | 74 | Anthony Okparaego |
| 37 | Grace Samson | 75 | Uche Paul |
| 38 | Rebecca Ibeanusi | ||
Realnews reports that the released Igbo abductees have finally been reunited with their families in the East.
– Mar. 16, 2021 @ 17:53 GMT
A.I
Tags: 75 abducted Igbos in Rivers State regain freedom Intersociety
