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How Army Personnel Invaded My Home In Abia, Took Away My Teenage Siblings – Female Doctor Decries Indiscriminate Arrest
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.”
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Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
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“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
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