From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Human Rights Activist and counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor has tasked governors of the five southeast states and the political leaders from the zone to take action over the continued and rising cases of enforced disappearances of residents of the southeast.
Amnesty International (AI) released a report on Wednesday accusing the Nigerian security agencies of failing to account for the whereabouts of many residents who were arrested in the southeast.
But Ejiofor in a statement on Thursday described enforced disappearances of southeast residents as a harrowing crisis which the politicians from the zone continue to wilfully ignore especially those campaigning for elections in 2027.
He recalled that in a recent publication he made on July 21, 2024, he had raised alarm over the shocking number of Igbo people being abducted daily by state actors under the guise of combating rising insecurity in the southeast noting that hundreds of Igbo elderly parents, brothers, and sisters are regularly taken by Nigerian security forces and are disappearing without a trace.
“Our concern deepens with the increasing number of distress calls we receive daily from the families of some of these victims of enforced disappearance. It is especially troubling that the relatives of these victims can no longer determine their status, whereabouts, or even whether they are still alive. The reason for their arrest remains unknown, further compounding the agony for their families”.
“Unfortunately, this alarming trend has not been met with the deserving public outcry and condemnation, particularly from those who claim to represent us in high political offices. Instead, a fraction of these officials, seemingly absorbed by the privileges of their positions, are preoccupied with preparation for the 2027 election cycle”.
“Now that Amnesty International has stepped in to corroborate our concerns about these secret abductions and forced disappearances, we call on our political leaders across all levels to denounce the state actors responsible for this crime against humanity and demand an end to these grave infractions.”
Ejiofor recalled that suggestions were made in various discussions before now that security agents have the capacity to identify their targets, and apprehend the actual threats, yet they continue to target ostensibly innocent and harmless citizens.
“These innocent individuals are then transported to unknown locations where they may be either killed or indefinitely detained without any trace. Wawa Military Barracks in Niger State, for instance, is currently holding an outrageously high number of innocent Igbos who have been detained indefinitely, with no hope of freedom in sight”
“I am urging the Governors of the southeast states to take immediate action and use the machinery of governments to address this rising trend. Enough is enough” he stated.