The Ohanaeze Youth Council has issued a call to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, urging him to intervene and halt the unlawful arrest and torture of innocent Igbo youths in Aba. This appeal follows the recent killing of five soldiers last Thursday.
Last Thursday, reports emerged that gunmen, allegedly enforcing a sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on May 30 to commemorate those who died during the Nigeria-Biafra civil war from 1967 to 1970, attacked and killed soldiers stationed at the Obikabia Junction Checkpoint in Obingwa Local Government Area, near Aba in Abia State.
In response to these killings, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters has vowed to decisively and ruthlessly deal with IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
In an open letter addressed to Governor Alex Otti, the Ohanaeze Youth Council, the leading Igbo socio-cultural youth organization, condemned the killings and other criminal activities in the South East. However, the Council emphasized that this should not justify the military’s actions against innocent youths.
The Ohanaeze Youth Council expressed its concerns about reports of intimidation, mistreatment, and the illegal arrest of innocent citizens in Aba by the Nigerian military following the killing of the soldiers on May 30, 2024. They appealed to Governor Otti to use his executive authority to halt these actions.
The group demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested on May 31, 2024, in Aba and Obingwa LGA. They urged Governor Otti to ensure that those responsible for the soldiers’ deaths are apprehended and brought to justice.
The letter highlighted a pattern in which the Nigerian military retaliates against innocent civilians following attacks by criminal elements in the region. The Ohanaeze Youth Council described this as an unprofessional attitude and urged Governor Otti to prevent such actions during his administration.
The Council, confident in Governor Otti’s commitment to democracy, called for the immediate release of all innocent civilians detained by the military in Aba. They also urged him to stop any further illegal arrests to avoid provoking civil unrest in Aba, Abia State.
The letter, signed by the group’s President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, and Secretary, Comrade Ifeanyi Nweke, was titled: “An open letter by Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) to Dr. Alex Otti requesting for prompt intervention on the intimidation, maltreatment, and illegal arrest of innocent citizens by Nigeria Military in Aba.”
