Abayomi Susan
A coalition of concerned and independent lawyers representing families of detained and allegedly missing persons in the South-East has called on the international community to intervene over what it described as the prolonged detention and alleged disappearance of youths accused of being members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The legal team, led by Olusegun Adekoya and working with the human rights organisation Fiat Justicia Juris, made the appeal during a press conference in Umuahia, Abia State.
According to the lawyers, they are acting on the instructions of the Head of the Directorate of State of IPOB, Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ. They said several families in the region had endured years of uncertainty over the whereabouts and fate of relatives allegedly arrested during security operations.
The lawyers stressed that their intervention was based on constitutional rights and the principles of the rule of law. They therefore called on the Federal Government to either charge detained individuals before competent courts or release those against whom there is insufficient evidence.
The coalition maintained that anyone accused of committing an offence should be brought before a competent court for trial, while those against whom no credible evidence exists should be released.
The legal practitioners warned that detention must not be used as a substitute for trial. They expressed particular concern over allegations that some suspects arrested in the South-East had been transferred to distant military detention facilities, including the Wawa facility in Niger State, where they were allegedly held for extended periods without being brought before civilian courts.
They argued that the proscription of IPOB does not, in itself, remove the constitutional rights of individual Nigerians.
The lawyers said an allegation of affiliation with a proscribed organisation should not automatically result in indefinite detention, stressing the need for authorities to produce detainees, charge those against whom admissible evidence exists and prosecute them before competent courts.
The group also raised the case of Mrs Calista Ifedi, whom they alleged had been detained since 2021 over a purported connection with IPOB and was subsequently reported to have died in custody.
The lawyers called for her remains to be released to her family and for the circumstances surrounding her reported death to be thoroughly investigated.
The coalition disclosed that it would present photographic evidence, medical reports, affidavits and testimonies from affected families and survivors at a subsequent briefing.
According to the group, families affected by the alleged detentions and disappearances are seeking clarity on the whereabouts and condition of their relatives and want those against whom there is sufficient evidence to be brought before the courts.
The legal team also announced plans to compile a comprehensive register of missing persons based on sworn statements from affected families. The documentation, it said, would be submitted to relevant international and regional human rights bodies.
The lawyers appealed to the United Nations, African Union, European Union, United States, United Kingdom and other international stakeholders to pay closer attention to allegations of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and unlawful killings in the South-East.
They urged all relevant authorities to ensure that allegations of human rights violations are properly investigated and that the constitutional rights of detainees are respected.
