A Nigerian medical doctor, Rose Agwu, has decried the invasion and illegal arrest of her siblings – 15-year-old brother and sister by Nigerian soldiers.

SaharaReporters reported on Thursday that hoodlums allegedly enforcing sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in commemoration of Biafra Heroes Day engaged soldiers deployed to Obikabia Junction in the Aba area of Abia state and killed five soldiers.

Reacting to the attack, the Nigerian military vowed to ruthlessly crush the members of the IPOB and its militant wing Eastern Security Network (ESN).

It also noted that it fiercely deal with members of the group.

Since the attack, there have been reports that Nigerian military has laid siege on Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia state, hounding and disappearing innocent residents in their hundreds.

However, Agwu, a medical personnel in one of the hospitals around the town, who resides near Obikabia Junction in the Aba area of the state, lamented that the soldiers broke into her home and took away her siblings at about 5am on Friday after sparing her 72-year-old father.

Agwu, who took to her X (formerly Twitter) handle to reveal this in a series of posts, demanded the whereabouts of her siblings.

She stated, “Around 5am in the morning, the Nigerian Army invaded my house, broke the gate and our door, and took my 15-year-old brother and my sister, who had just come home, away, leaving only my aged father.

“Till now, they have not been released. We are still trying to locate them. Please help us ask the Nigerian Army the logical reason behind this and how they can account for all the people they took and their plans for them.

“I don’t want to hear stories, please. This is how people go missing and get killed. Please release my siblings, they know nothing about the shooting or unknown gunmen, please.”

Lamenting the illegal and abuse of the innocent by the Nigerian military, she said the vow by the Defence Headquarters to fiercely crush them shouldn’t be targeted at the innocent.

According to her, her minor siblings are still custody in violation of their human rights without knowing where they are, even as she noted that June 1 was her sister’s birthday.

In the series of tweets, she appealed to Abia State Governor Alex Otti for intervention.

She wrote: “At exactly this time 5 am yesterday while I was at the hospital running my Accident and Emergency shift and saving lives, the Nigerian army broke into my home, forced my 72-year-old father to sit in an unhealthy position while they took away my 15-year-old brother and sister.

“Till now my siblings have not been returned home. My family has been in panic and living in fear. The doors and gates were broken, no arrest warrant was shown, no official statement as to why they took my minor sibling or sister. This is not how justice is served!

“Children are experiencing something traumatic even to a grown adult. How will my siblings recover from this assault and abuse of their human rights?

“Today, June 1, is my sister’s birthday and she’s in Army custody for a crime she knows nothing about. My sister is unproblematic. My family has no relation to the crisis going on in the country. We are law-abiding citizens and mind our business but here we are.

“It’s my sister’s birthday today! A very traumatic birthday indeed. She’s being held by the Nigerian army who, without intelligence information, moved around arresting innocent law-abiding citizens living around where the attack on soldiers happened,” she stated.

She added in her latest tweet, “It’s been 34hrs since my siblings were taken from our home without a warrant or any explanation,my 15year old brother is still in captivity, confused,scared and hungry. No child should ever experience this, this is a very traumatic experience @HQNigerianArmy release my siblings”

Meanwhile, many residents of Aba have decried the unprofessional manner the Nigerian Army has been breaking and invading into compounds, taking young people men and women alike.

Some who took to social media platforms, questioned the different between the military personnel and the unknown gunmen when they cannot investigate and go after tje criminals.

A tweep, CleverNation, who tweets as #clevernation23, claimed that his friend was taken away by soldiers who invaded his hotel room.

#clevernation23 wrote, “They took my friend who came to Aba to buy goods on Monday but had to lodge in a hotel. The military invaded the hotel and carried every occupant away.”

This move has caused public outrage as Nigerians condemned the invasion of homes and the arrest of innocent residents.

On X.com, a tweep, Samuel Ajayi, who tweets as #Samdgreat01, condemned the arrests as lawlessness.

#Samdgreat01 wrote, “You see, this is my problem with how the Nigerian Army works. Terrorists and criminals attacked your men, and you go around without intelligence detaining innocent citizens. The real terrorists are still moving freely and can wreak havoc again. Families of innocent people will grieve while terrorists strike again. The cycle continues. Lawlessness.

“Terrorists attacked you and went their way. You went around picking up people in the area indiscriminately, even as young as 15, to an unknown location. You’ll torture them, perhaps kill some; you’ve done it before. Real terrorists are still intact in their location. Conduct a proper investigation and gather intelligence to go after them. You’re not so different from the terrorists.”

Another tweep, Ike God, tweeting as #Ikegod, called for a proper investigation to bring the real perpetrators to justice instead of unlawfully arresting innocent citizens.

He wrote, “I call on Alex Otti to interface with the @HQNigerianArmy Chief, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of all innocent and hapless Abia teenagers and youths abducted by rogue elements within the Nigerian Army on a reprisal attack.

“The investigation to fish out and prosecute the daredevil UGM or MOU who attacked the Army checkpoint in Obikabia Junction, Obingwa, Aba, is a matter for the IGP Kayode Egbetokun-led @PoliceNG. The Nigerian Army must quit flexing muscles with armless and harmless Nigerian citizens and go after real terrorists wreaking havoc across Nigeria. Dear HE @alexottiofr, kindly look into the abduction of hapless Abia teenagers, raised by #RoseAgwu254246.”