BREAKING: Five detained Obigbo residents reported dead in army custody, 134 still missing

 

Five out of over a hundred residents of Obigbo (Oyigbo) in Rivers State secretly held at the Nigerian Army’s Alpha Military Commando Base in Suleja, Niger State, have lost their lives, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) announced today, Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

A statement signed by the group’s Principal Officers; Emeka Umeagbalasi, Obianuju Igboeli, and Esq., Chidimma Udegbunam, Esq. gave the names of the victims as Thomas Ekwueme, Pius Onochie, Obinna Akapuru, Monday Ifeanyi and Tobechukwu Odoka.

Intersociety regretted that out of about 550 abducted Obigbo residents, “not less than 134 are still not independently located and are still languishing in secret military custodies, only known to the Nigerian Army.”

The rights group, however, announced the release of a fresh batch of 107 detainees. (See list below)

It said that “their release followed a court bail granted to them a week or two ago and perfection of their bail conditions. The 107 mostly Igbo Christian citizens of Obigbo residency have also successfully rejoined their families and other loved ones over nine months after they were waylaid by soldiers of the Nigerian Army on their way back from work or going to work and other legitimate social activities and abducted and disappeared.”

Intersociety recalled that soldiers “had on 21st Oct 2020 invaded the Obigbo part of Rivers State following the State-wide broadcast by Governor Nyesom Wike who hastily and maliciously accused the Indigenous People of Biafra of masterminding the EndSARS protests in the State that led to death of dozens of civilians and security personnel and destruction of some public properties. The Governor had played into the hands of the lopsidedly composed Nigerian Army which cashed in on his broadcast to lay the area under siege and go on killing spree leading to the death of not less than 102 civilians in two months, during which no fewer than 550 were abducted and private properties worth hundreds of millions of naira burnt or destroyed.”

The statement further said: “With the release of 107 Obigbo abductees in addition to release on 29/30th June 2021 of 26 others held by DSS and previous release of a total 283 other abductees; a total of 416 of the 550 abductees have been freed through various Court bails. In other words, not less than 134 are still not independently located and are still languishing in secret military custodies, only known to the Nigerian Army. It must be remembered that till date, the authorities of the Nigerian Army have kept mute over the abductions and disappearances; refusing to speak on why they were abducted and held in captivity for almost ten months without trial. Intersociety had in its statement of 6th July 2021 released names of the 112 abductees including the four (now five in number) that died.

“Sadly, among those 112 abductees, secretly held at the Nigerian Army’s Alpha Military Commando Base in Suleja, Niger State, five have lost their lives; namely: Thomas Ekwueme, Pius Onochie, Obinna Akapuru, Monday Ifeanyi and Tobechukwu Odoka.”

Below are the names and states of origin of those recently released in Suleja-Abuja.

NAMES          AGES STATE

Benjamin Eze  27        ANAMBRA

Paul Uwazieike           22        ABIA

Humphrey vickie         38        EBONYI

Peter Umeze    20        IMO

OdemgboIsreal           26        ANAMBRA

Prince Achi     30        ABIA

Wie Gift          25        EBONYI

KamsoIgnatus 27        ANAMBRA

Chibuike Ochi 29        ANAMBRA

Bobo Ochi       32        IMO

Mensah Boniface        44        ENUGU

Elechi Sylvester          29        ENUGU

AmadiChinasa                     30           IMO

Okeke Zachariah         41        IMO

Mebechi Justice           35        ABIA

AnwulukaDieide         22        EBONYI

Alphonsus white         47        EBONYI

Saturday Amonwa      24        EBONYI

Daniel Onwubiko        31        IMO

SupuruOnochie           22        IMO

Clifford Francis          25        ABIA

EmekaUgbochi           26        ABIA

EchefunaUchenna       24        ABIA

Anthony Okpara         31        IMO

Godswill Ike   30        IMO

IkennaAbuoma           29        ENUGU

Paul Nwille     28        ABIA

Okochi Emmanuel      27        ANAMBRA

Richard Okoli 28        ANAMBRA

Imma Sunny    27        ANAMBRA

Johnson Akabuku       26        IMO

MichealAzubuike        24        EBONYI

Oku Confidence         22        EBONYI

Mark Uche      22        EBONYI

Mr Dominic Asiema    20        ABIA

Freedom Acalpu         21        ABIA

Nsikak Friday 20        EBONYI

ChinonsoAmaechi       25        EBONYI

Bright Sunday 26        ABIA

OkparaDinma  48        ABIA

John Igweba    21        ABIA

HumpheryChukwunonoso      21        EBONYI

Boniface Uwuoma      45        IMO

OsaretinChinda           23        ABIA

Ekene Denison            25        EBONYI

Emma Maduabuchi     40        ENUGU

Chiedu Kelvin 29        EBONYI

Osita Austin    28        ABIA

Legit Kerere    27        IMO

Eric Alphonsus            28        ABIA

Iyke     37        ENUGU

Godwin Ume  30        IMO

ChineyezeEkpere        35        ENUGU

Innocent Odum           37        IMO

Pastor Uchenna           35        IMO

Boniface Ume 30        IMO

Gilbert 29        EBONYI

Okafor Kingsley         28        ANAMBRA

ChieyuranIbe  26        ABIA

Emeka David  25        ABIA

Sodienye Moses          24        ABIA

OnyinyeNwokeke       23        IMO

Monday Ogah 28        IMO

IfeomaIgwe    26        ABIA

ChikeJideofor 38        IMO

ChukwudiAnyazue     35        IMO

Chimezie         32        ENUGU

Ayigbo            31        EVONYI

Chijioke           29        EBONYI

Ekene  26        IMO

Nwude            25        ENUGU

Vincent           28        IMO

Ugochukusu    26        ANAMBRA

AdrewIheme   24        IMO

Thomas Ibekwe           22        ENUGU

Precious Anozie          25        ABIA

Cletus Justice  23        ABIA

Augustine        34        ABIA

OsitaChikwado           27        ABIA

Adam Kennedy          29        ENUGU

EgesiGoffrey  38        IMO

ChidiOkeke     29        IMO

Egbo Godwin 38        IMO

TobechukwuUdoka    29        EBONYI

Chineyenze Bishop     34        IMO

AkaudoObinna           21        ENUGU

KanyineneUche          20        IMO

AzubuikeCalistus        32        ANAMBRA

Victor Ugoechi           31        ANAMBRA

OkwuNonyerem         31        IMO

KamsoAnayo  39        IMO

SopuruDikachi            35        ENUGU

ChibuikeUzo   32        ENUGU

Osuagwu Emmanuel   31        IMO

Ojiako Bright  33        IMO

Harrison Jude  34        IMO

Winner Onukube         32        IMO

Chika Dede     30        IMO

Papa Emma     28        IMO

Success Mba   26        IMO

Clifford Obunneme    27        IMO

ChieunraChukwuma   38        ENUGU

Ekweme Thomas         36(Dead)         IMO

Pius Onochie   32(Dead)         ENUGU

ObinnaAkapuru          28(Dead)         IMO

Monday Ifeanyi          27(Dead)         IMO