By Rita Ugo
A rights activist, Mark Chidozie, has sent an urgent Save-our-Souls message to President Bola Tinubu to stop the Nigerian security forces from attacking and persecuting the people of the South East, especially in the Orlu Senatorial District of Imo State.
Chidozie said the indiscriminate and continuous crackdown on members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) was scaring young people away from home and many of them were still missing after each raid by security forces.
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The activist noted that Orlu used to be peaceful before the Nigerian security forces carried out a joint operation in Imo State, less than three weeks after public assets were allegedly attacked by IPOB’s Eastern Security Network, a group seeking the realization of the Republic of Biafra.
Chidozie said, after the attack on Orlu, many young men were killed or captured and taken away by security forces, while many others went missing: “Among those we don’t know their whereabouts are Martin Ikechukwu, Job Ikechukwu, Sunny Onyewuwa, Banabas Prince Nnamdi (an orphan), John Nwokike, and so many others too numerous to mention. They have been missing since 2021.”
He declared that many of them were beaten mercilessly, injured or got life-threatening injuries and many died in the bushes or ran away from the community for fear of constant raids of the zone by government security forces, especially the army and the police.
“I am appealing to President Tinubu to wade into the matter because the majority of those who died or went missing during each raid are not members of the IPOB or its security network, ESN. They are hardworking young men, who were going about their normal businesses and were picked or killed and tagged IPOB members.
“Some of them were battered, deformed or shot. Till today, the whereabouts of so many of them are not known. If they have died, we don’t know, so that we can give them a befitting burial. The psychological trauma that our old parents are facing is heartbreaking, because they don’t know if their missing children are alive or dead.
“The constant raiding of the area is causing fear and panic in our people, especially young men, because any young man is seen by government security forces as a member of the IPOB.
“The government is talking of food insecurity, but its security agencies are chasing away our youths who are predominantly farmers. We appeal to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Tinubu, to prevail on security forces to channel their energy to the North, the stronghold of terrorists, and relocate from the South East.
“The founder of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who the security forces claimed that they were looking for after he fled the country, has been arrested and is facing trial in court. After his arrest, security forces claimed that they were searching for his supporters and members the IPOB. As the soldiers finished raiding, the police, especially the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), would come and start shooting in broad daylight. They would move to our bushes, farms and arrest or kill or maim our innocent hunters and farmers, tagging them members of the IPOB. We plead with our President to stop these trigger-happy security forces to from scaring our youths away from their communities .
“ As we all know, South East is predominantly Christian community and the killings going on there looks as if some people want to wipe out Christians in Igbo land. We want the government to look into the issue.
“I am also calling on our youths who are still missing since 2021 to come back home. Those who are still alive should not keep us in the dark but should re-establish contact with family members so that we know their whereabouts. Those who are orphans should understand that it is not only biological parents that are their parents, we love them and we are concerned about them and want to know their whereabouts. If they are still within Nigeria or in the Diaspora, they should let us know. We are tired of waiting helplessly.”
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