The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has alleged that the Nigerian Army had received a secret instruction to move all Obigbo youths held in the military cell in Kaduna to unknown locations in Northern Nigeria for possible execution.

The group said the over 500 Obigbo youths had been held in different detention facilities under inhuman conditions since two years when they were unlawfully arrested during the infamous Obigbo massacre in 2020.

In a statement on Saturday, the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said IPOB Intelligence unit intercepted secret instruction by the Nigeria Army high command to move the detainees to unknown locations for possible execution and extra-judicial killing.

The group, therefore, cautioned the Army and other federal agencies against secretly executing the innocent youths.

Powerful added that If anything untoward happened to those people arrested illegally, the Army should be held responsible.

The statement reads in part, “We are aware that over 500 innocent Biafrans were unlawfully arrested and abducted by the military and evacuated to different secret cells in Abuja and Kaduna Army cells where they are daily tortured, raped and maltreated as animals because they are Igbos.

“These youths were arrested in Rivers State by the Federal Government and Governor Nyesom Wike, at the heat of the #EndSARS protest because of their hatred against the Igbo Nation in Nigeria.

“With great efforts by our legal teams, some of them were released last year but many are still in custody for two years for committing no crime but being Igbo.

“We, therefore, want to place the world on notice over this wicked plot by the Nigeria Army and its plots to silence these innocent Biafrans without trace. These victims have been detained incommunicado in their custody for two years and they have been ordered to be taken to secret locations in Kaduna.

“It is only the authorities of the Nigeria Army that knows what that order and instruction meant, but any attempt to execute or extra-judicially kill them, they will regret their actions. Such barbarity will be costly and a blunder Nigeria will ever live to regret.

“We also want to remind the army and the Federal Government that we are monitoring them. Should anything untoward happen to these innocent Biafrans, those behind their fate will not escape judgement!

“We demand unconditional release of these youths because they committed no crime and must therefore be released, they have unjustly suffered enough and deserve to be released unconditionally.

“The Obigbo genocide must be remembered in history against Nyesom Wike and Nigeria security agents including the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The world should not maintain criminal silence when the same federal government that has been freeing Fulani bandits and mass murderers including terrorists rampaging and ravaging Nigeria for the past ten years contine to keep innocent Biafrans in detention under inhuman condition.”

Names Of 112 Obigbo Residents Illegally Detained By Nigerian Army Since December Revealed

Earlier, names 112 residents of Obigbo area, who were taken away during a raid by the Nigerian Army and detained at its Commando Base in Suleja, Niger State, were revealed.

They were arrested by the Nigerian Army between November and December 2020, and later found to be in a base in Niger State.

According to a civil group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, the families and lawyers of most of the victims have “not been allowed to see them till date, and neither have they been charged to court nor given fair trial and fair hearing.”

“The 112 mostly Igbo civilian residents of Obigbo residency have for almost nine months remained in the Nigerian Army’s Alpha Military Commando Base located along Bida-Suleja Road, Bida in Niger State. They have also been held secretly without administrative or court bail.

“Following the discovery of some secret locations where the abductees were taken to and held, in addition to public and media outcries and efforts of Barrister Richard Okoroafor, Intersociety and leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, 283 were judicially rescued and over 270 have remained in secret custody of the Nigerian Army.

“Another 26 of them were secretly transferred by soldiers to DSS detention facilities in Abuja. It must also be remembered that it was in the course of locating the whereabouts of the 112 Obigbo civilian abductees that Barr Richard Okoroafor, an International human rights lawyer, narrowly escaped being assassinated on February 25, 2021, by killer operatives suspected to be working for the government along the Suleja-Abuja Highway.

“The lawyer’s mother was also on May 19 assassinated by suspected hired gunmen at the entrance of her residence in Ekiti State,” the group said in its report.

The names of the 112 abducted Obigbo residents discovered in Nigerian Army detention in Suleja by human rights lawyers are;

1.Benjamin Eze, 2. Paul Uwazie, 3. Humphrey Vickie, 4. Peter Umeh, 5. Prince Achi, 6. Odenigbo Israel, 7. Iwuoma Bright, 8. Gift Ivie, 9. Kamso Ignatius, 10. Chibuike Ochi, 11. Bobo Ochi, 12. Ochi Jacob, 13. Mensah Boniface, 14. Nwakaego Ibe, 15. Elechi Sylvester, 16. Amadi Chinasa, 17.Okeke Zechariah, 18. Mebechi Justice, 19. Anwulika Dede, 20. Alphonsus White, 21. Saturday Amonwa, 22. Daniel Onwubiko, 23. Sopuru Onochie, 24. Clifford Francis, 25. Emeka Ugbochi, 26. Echefuna Uchenna, 27. Anthony Okpara, 28. Godswill, 29. Ikenna Abuoma, 30. Paul Nwitte, 31. Okochi Emmanuel, 32. Richard Okoli, 33. Immanuel Sunny, 34. Johnson Akabuku, 35. Michael Azubuike, 36. Oku Confidence, 37. Mark Uche, 38. Dominic Asiema, 39. Freedom Acalpu, 40. Nsikak Friday, 41. Chinonso Amaechi, 42. Bright Sunday, 43. Okpara Dinma, 44. John Igweba, 45. Humphrey Chukwunonso, 46. Boniface Uwuoma, 47. Osaretin Chinda, 48. Ekene Denison and 49. Emma Maduabuchi, 50. Chinedu Kelvin, 51. Osita Austin, 52. Legit Kererei, 53. Eric Alphonsus, 54. Ikechukwu, 55. Godwin Ume, 56. Chinenyeze Ekpere, 57. Innocent Odum, 58.Pastor Uchenna, 59. Boniface Ume, 60.Gilbert, 61. Okafor Kingsley, 62. Chieyuran Ibe, 63. Emeka David, 64. Freedom Acalpu, 65. Sodienye Moses, 66. Onyinye Nwokeke, 67. Monday Ogah, 68. Ifeoma Igwe, 69. Chika Jideofor, 70. Chukwudi Anyazue, 71. Chimezie Ayigbo, 72. Chijioke (from Ekwulobia, Anambra State), 73. Ekene, 74. Nwude, 75. Vincent, 76. Ugochukwu, 77. Andrew Iheme, 78. Thomas Ibekwe, 79. Precious Anozie, 80. Cletus Justice, 81. Augustus, 82. Osita Chikwado, 83. Adams Kennedy, 84.Egesi Geoffrey, 85. Chidi Okeke, 86. Egbo Godwin, 87. Tobechukwu Udoka, 88. Chineyenze Bishop, 89. Akaudo Obinna, 90. Kanyinene Uche, 91. Azubuike Calistus, 92. Victor Ugochi, 93. Okwu Nonyerem, 94. Kamso Anayo, 95. Ebube Kelvin, 96. Emeka David, 97. Sopuru Dikachi, 98. Chibuike Uzo, 99. Osuagwu Emmanuel, 100. Ojiako Bright, 101. Harrison Jude, 102. Winner Onukwube, 103. Chika Dede, 104. Papa Emma, 105. Success Mba, 106. Elvis Chigbu, 107.Clifford Obunneme, 108.Chiefuna Chukwuma, 109.Ekweme Thomas 110.. Pius Onochie 111 Obinna Akapuru and 112. Monday Ifeanyi.

Newsmen had on February 23 reported that about 50 women allegedly arrested by the Nigerian Army during the crisis in Obigbo, Rivers State, last October, were forced to wear the same set of underwear for four months in military detention.

The Intersociety had also stated at that time that there were fears that some of the ladies, who were recently freed after a prolonged legal intervention, could have infections such as sexually transmitted diseases as some of them claimed to have been serially raped.