Man declared wanted over IPOB membership

By Chibuzor Ugwu, Owerri

A middle-aged man, Mr Pery Emmanuel from Umudim village in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State of Nigeria has been declared wanted by men of the Imo State Police Command over his alleged membership of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Emmanuel was declared wanted after he escaped arrest.

The Police command said he was earlier arrested by the Nigerian Military and handed over to the police but that he escaped from police custody.

According to the police, “He is one of the notorious leaders of the illegal group, IPOB, under the guise of demanding release of Nnamdi Kanu, they are constituting nuisance to the Nigerian society.

“Already, the group has been outlawed, so anyone that is a member is offending the law.

“He was earlier arrested over activities of IPOB but escaped from the police custody.

“We urge the members of the public to report to the police anywhere he is sighted.”

He stated that Emmanuel was one of those arrested by security agencies where they were holding an IPOB meeting.

“On that very day, Eze Calistus Ejike, Isaac Obiajulu, Pery Emmanuel, Christopher Nkemakonam, Paul Obika and Okechukwu Mbaeri were sighted among IPOB leaders during their nefarious meeting.

“They escaped from lawful arrest and we have been on their trail since then.

“There was also a joint operation to re-arrest Emmanuel from his village where he was hiding but he escaped again,” the cop stated, adding that a manhunt for him was in the process.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel’s friend, Mr. AKPU CHRISTIAN ONWE has described the operation carried out by security agencies by raiding the family house of Emmanuel as unprovoked.

While lamenting that Emmanuel’s mother, Mrs. PERY HAPPINESS was shot dead during the raid, he urged human rights organisations to help get justice for his friend and his family.

He narrated that: “They came to my friend’s house in the dead of the night and started shooting sporadically, shouting that they were security agencies.

“They came looking for my friend, Emmanuel.

“My friend escaped from the house miraculously that night and since then has been on the run and living as a fugitive in his father’s land.”