UMUAHIA (ABIA STATE) : Uncertainty is still surrounding the fate of three Cell leaders of the Indigenous People of Biafra( IPOB) earlier declared wanted by the police authorities in the Abia state capital, Umuahia.
Joshua Ndidi Enumah, Ferdinand Nwokoro and Donatus Afam(aka Warrior) are wanted for their roles in the December 2,,2015 and February 9,2016 violent protests in Onitsha, Aba , Enugu and other cities in the South East of Nigeria.
The protests which were spearheaded by secessionist groups demanding for the restoration of the Sovereign State of Biafra, led to the deaths of several protesters and the subsequent massive crackdown by the police and other security forces across the Southeastern parts of Nigeria.
No fewer than 11 people were reportedly killed by security forces during the December 2, 2015 protest in Onitsha; including two policemen and nine activists. On February 9,2016, six members of the secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were also reportedly killed by security forces in Aba . Scores were arrested and clamped into military detention camps.
The leaders of IPOB have claimed that Nigerian soldiers were carrying out extra- judicial killings of their members, adding that a number of the activists have remained unaccounted for since the protests broke out.
Joshua Ndidi Enumah, Ferdinand Nwokoro and Donatus Afam(aka Warrior) are believed to be among the arrow heads of the protests having been identified as IPOB cell leaders in Onitsha and Aba.
Our correspondent in Umuahia, the Abia state capital gathered that following the February 9,2016 violent protests, the military laid siege on the homes of the three identified activists in Aba and Umuahia.
It was also learnt that attempts by security operatives to forcibly invade the home of Joshua In March this year led to the shooting of two Department of State Security (DSS) personnel by unknown persons. The house was subsequently destroyed on the orders of the Federal Government.
This latest incident has heightened fears over the safety of the activists since they disappeared from their homes in the aftermath of police crackdown .
Human rights groups including Amnesty International have accused Nigerian security forces of killing at least 150 Biafra’s secession peaceful advocates between August 2015 and August 2016.The rights group had also alleged that Nigerian military fired live ammunition, with little or no warning, to disperse members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
However, the Nigerian military and the Federal Government have vehemently and consistently denied in engaging in any of these attrocities, saying it was aimed at tarnishing security forces reputation.
