A Nigerian medical doctor, Rose Agwu, has condemned the invasion and illegal arrest of her 15-year-old brother and sister by Nigerian soldiers. Agwu shared that soldiers broke into her home at 5 am on Friday, sparing her 72-year-old father but taking her siblings away.
Hoodlums allegedly enforcing a sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in commemoration of Biafra Heroes Day clashed with soldiers at Obikabia Junction in Aba, Abia State, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers. In response, the Nigerian military vowed to crush IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Since the attack, reports indicate that the military has been besieging Aba, arresting and disappearing innocent residents. Agwu, who works in a nearby hospital, took to her X (formerly Twitter) account to demand the whereabouts of her siblings, who remain missing.
“Around 5 am 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,” Agwu wrote.
She criticized the military’s vow to fiercely crush IPOB, stating it should not target innocent people. She highlighted that her siblings are being held in violation of their human rights and noted that June 1 was her sister’s birthday. Agwu also appealed to Abia State Governor Alex Otti for intervention.
“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.
In her latest tweet, Agwu added, “It’s been 34 hours since my siblings were taken from our home without a warrant or any explanation. My 15-year-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 condemned the Nigerian Army’s unprofessional conduct, breaking into compounds and arresting young people indiscriminately. On social media, users expressed outrage and questioned the military’s actions. A user, CleverNation, tweeted that soldiers invaded his friend’s hotel room and took him away.
Another user, Samuel Ajayi, criticized the army for detaining innocent citizens instead of targeting the real perpetrators. “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