Politics
By Benprince Ezeh
THE International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, has released a list of 95 Obigbo and Orlu residents abducted by Nigerian soldiers and discovered in Kaduna prisons.
In a letter dated November 25 and signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman of the organisation, said that it was informing the whole world that the abductees comprised six females and 89 males.
“Out of the newly discovered army abductees, four including Ugochukwu, have died and 257 others still missing.
“It must be pointed out that most of the 95 located victims of the army abduction discovered in Kaduna prisons who are all Igbos of Christian faith were discovered to have been abducted by soldiers of the Nigerian Army during their genocidal invasion of Obigbo area of Rivers State in response to October 2020 country-wide EndSARS protests in the state,” the letter said.
According to the information obtained from some of the victims interviewed, they were held in various army secret custody for several months or not less than 10 months without transferring them to the police and court trial.
“The secret military facilities where they were held included Bori Camp of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division in Port Harcourt and the Obinze-Owerri 34 Brigade, under 82 Division; the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja and the 1 Mechanized Division, Kaduna, etc.
“It was from those secret army detention facilities that the 95 Igbos were transferred to the Kaduna Prisons and Lock Centers without charge or open court remands after several months in army custody,” the letter stated.
According to victims’ accounts, about 50 of the 357 abducted citizens were transferred few months ago from Orlu and other parts of Imo State and some are among the 95 presently languishing without court trial in Kaduna prisons and Lock Centers.
The number of deaths among the 357 is likely to be in scores or dozens. The interviewed victims also further disclosed that while in army custody, torture and starvation were routine and that they were specifically conditioned to die of hunger, starvation, and disease.
The organisation further stated that their discovery came to light through shared independent intelligence information gathered by some local and international human rights activists and corroborated by some friendly military personnel and a freed victim whose father has links in the military.
“The attentions of Human Rights Counsel Richard Okoroafor and leadership of the country’s leading self-determination group in the East were drawn.
It must be remembered that the leading self-determination group and Okoroafor played critical roles in the recent release of over 400 victims of the same Obigbo army massacre and abductions of October/November 2020.
“Upon discovery of the ‘Obigbo/Orlu 95”, arrangements were made by the said local and international human rights activists for the purpose of verifying the independent intelligence information gathered, including dispatching a team to locate the detainees and obtain some useful information concerning their abduction,” they said.
They, however, urged the general public to check the names listed below and see if they know anyone among them.
The victims include: Humphrey Onyii, Kenechukwu Paul, Kacil Ude, Antonio Obi, Oluchi Nwaba, Ben Akachukwu, Mebechukwu Ifeanyi, Ebube Uche, David Akudo, Namdi Ndidi, Francis Collins, Ozioma Anurika (female), Odinaka Prince, Kingsley Obinna, Ekechukwu Joshua, Ekechukwu Paul, Pius Victoria (female), Emmanuel Obinna, Kanyinene Andrew, Kosisochukwu Best, Kachi Ude, Uchechukwu Uba, Londonboy Kelvin, Chinedu Anwuru, Sunday Adaoche, Chika Obasi, Isaac Ejekwe, Benjamin Orakwe, Maxwell Uba, Kenneth Erochukwu, Mba Osigwe, Harrison Ezenwa, Boniface Nsowolu, Lawrence Celestine, Ugonna Kennedy, Nwadike Akolam, Jerry Chukwuemeka, Arinze Somtoochukwu, Anyanwu Ositadinma, Livinus Shedrack, Monday Uba, Ogugua Chukwuebuka, Prince Eze Ugochi, Ndubuisi Anayo, Bright Okafor, Emma Okafor, Henry Sopuruchukwu, Chika Ugwueze, Osinachi Jerry, Abraham Emeka, Moses Uzoma, Aaron Osagie, Onyekachi Chukwu and Chukwu Prince.
Others are Ibe Francis, Maduka Synagogue, Onyinyechi Chukwuma (female), Maurine Akapu (female), Ebuka Ositadinma, Ebere Anyanwu, Paulina Eberechukwu (), EkeneMaria Chisaram (female), Chibuikem Anarue, Success Anome, Richard Onyii, Peter Charise, Nwa Daddy, Boniface, Igwe Harry, Chinonso Kelvin, Geoffrey Egemba, Ikechukwu Mike, Chike Ndurugo, Chima Okorie, David Amaefula, Aloysius Kalu, Valerian Ndubuisi, Kingsley Ebube, Chukwuebuka Aja, Nwabuife Henry, Elias Chima, Anthony Austin, Benjamin Amechi, Ugwunna John, Chisom Mbah, Ejikom Louis, Mgbeke Jasper, Odoh Joshua, Oku Solomon, Chidi Ugomsi, Mathias Osuji and two others.
Tags: Benprince Ezeh
