The Nigerian army have embarked on indiscriminate arrests in Aba and environs in the guise of hunting down Independent Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, members. Also in Umuahia the army raided and arrested people along Ahieke, Bende Road in the renewed operation Positive Identification launched recently.
In Aba on Wednesday, the army arrested some traders some readers at the vendor stand at Asa road, but the DCO of Abayi Police division said they were arrested at St Michaels road with Biafra flags and books.
One of the boys arrested Innocent Akpa, from Ubulu Ebonyi state is an apprentice who sales provision store at the area but was unfortunate as he was arrested by the army during the confusion that ensued when they invaded the area. They were taken to the Abayi police division by the military and later moved to state CID Umuahia from where they will be arraigned in court according to the Police authorities at Abayi-Aba, who spoke to this reporter.
Also in its report the Intersociety said the authorities of the Nigerian Army have embarked on indiscriminate arrests in Aba and environs, leading to dozens arrested, tortured and dehumanized; criminally and falsely labelled “kidnappers” and “IPOB terrorists”.
“All those arrested on Tuesday, 5th Nov 2019, numbering over 45, were jam-packed in not less than five Army Hilux vans and sighted taken to the Isi-Ala-Ngwa Army Checkpoint in the outskirt of Aba. Others were also seen by eyewitnesses in Army Hilux vans heading to the Ngwa High School operational headquarters of the 144 Battalion, Aba.
‘Free Newspaper Readers’, who are dominant in the list of the arrested citizens In Aba are strong social enlightenment clusters in Nigeria. Composed largely of artisans, traders, commercial tricycle, motorcycle and commuter bus riders/drivers and passers-by with little or no formal means of identification. They usually emerge at Newspaper Stands from far and near to freely read and analyze social happenings including local, regional, national and international breaking news. Many of them, owing to difficulties in tracing their identities and residences may end up being killed by soldiers extra judicially or tortured to death or made to disappear permanently from military custodies, said Intersociety.
Intersociety called on the Nigerian public and members of the int’l community to watch out and be at alert. No Army statement coming from its so called “OPI” particularly in the Southeast must be taken serious or digested without raising valid questions of how, why, what, where and when. The Army and the Defense Headquarters must also be made to understand that it is much easier to tell lies but a herculean task to defend them”.
