Man cries out as police declares him wanted over IPOB

Alfred Umeh, Awka

A middle-aged man, Onwudinjo Chukwuma, from Agulu in Anambra State has called on human rights organisations to come to his aid after he was declared wanted by the police. The police declared Chukwuma and fifteen others wanted over their alleged membership of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

However, speaking to our correspondent from his hideout, Chukwuma denied being a member of the IPOB. He said he was merely a victim of mass arrest by the police while he was on his way to Enugu State from his country home Agulu. Chukwuma said his ordeal started after he visited his family house and was returning to Enugu in the afternoon of 22nd September 2022.

“Our journey was going on smoothly until we got somewhere around Achi, in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.

“We discovered that some youths were protesting; this caused a traffic jam for several hours.

“At a point, I alighted from the bus to ease myself as I was so pressed; it was not for up to two minutes and the police arrived at the place and started firing tear gas.

“I was caught in the melee; I could not run; the next thing was that the police pushed me into a waiting van. That was how I was clamped into detention and was branded an IPOB member,” Chukwuma narrated in tears.

He said every explanation he made to the police that he was a young graduate and had just visited his Agulu community fell on deaf ears. He continued that, “On 9th October, some people invaded the police station; broke the cell and set us free.

“That’s how I escaped from the police station and went into hiding. A few days later, my friend informed me that I have been declared wanted. Right now, I am confused about the next step to take.

“I am appealing to human rights groups to come to my rescue; I am not a criminal; I have no criminal record.” Also speaking, Chukwuma’s mother said she was devastated when she heard her son had been arrested.

“My son is not a member of IPOB; he is not into any form of criminal activity. I am begging to lift the arrest order placed on him,” she appealed to the police authorities.