‘150 Igbo women arrested by Nigerian security agents for allegedly belonging to IPOB/ESN’ —CSO

The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), has alleged that over 150 Igbo women from the South-East and Igbo-speaking areas of Rivers and Delta States, are languishing in different detention facilities after they were ‘falsely’ labelled as members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and Eastern Security Network (ESN), without being charged to court by Nigerian security agents.

In a statement jointly issued on Friday by Board Chairman of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head of Democracy and Good Governance Programme, Chinwe Umeche, Head of Civil Liberties, Rule of Law Programme, Obianuju Igboeli, and Head of Public Campaign Publicity Department, Chidinma Udegbunam, the group decried the situation and called on the security agencies to either take the women to court or release them immediately.

”In two years, October 2020 to October 2022, Army, Police, others arrested 150 defenseless women in the South-East, falsely labeled them pro-Biafra group members, tortured and degraded them for six to eighteen months without trial or securing a single conviction against them,” the group statement said.

The group gave the names of some of the women as Ifeyinwa Egolu, Maria Ezediaru, Ngozi Umadi, Oluchi Madumere, Melody Anyanwu, and 53 freed Obigbo women from Rivers State, alleging that the women, mostly between 50 to 60 years, were arrested under the guise of crushing Biafra agitation and agitators.

Read also:Nigerian govt cannot release IPOB leader, Kanu, despite court ruling – Malami

“Defenseless women in Eastern Nigeria belonging to Judeo-Christian Igbo Ethnic Nationality, mostly in their non-menopausal age brackets have continued to bear the brunt of the Nigerian military, Police and DSS atrocious conduct.

“The atrocities against members of the defenseless civilian population in the old Eastern Region in the past two years or October 2020 to Oct 2022, have been unspeakable and unbearable.

“Generally speaking, not less than 300 defenseless women have been arrested in connection with false ‘Biafra membership’ accusations, and out of this number; no fewer than 150 were brutally tortured, degraded and others paid through their noses to secure their freedom,” it added.

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