The DSS further claimed that there are plans
by the IPOB to carry out terrorist attacks during the Sallah celebration across
the country. In other words, the DSS is saying, just as it falsely claimed few
months ago, that the IPOB “is a terrorist organization”; thereby comparing it
with the Boko Haram terror group that is notorious in engaging in deadly
bombing activities particularly during high profile religious activities such
as Xmas and Sallah feasts. This is a criminal stigmatization too many.
The DSS statement, as usual, is
unprofessional and inter-service unfriendly. For instance, the DSS was not
created to tackle common street crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping or gun
running. It is purely the duties of the Nigeria Police Force and its specialist
agencies such as CID and SARS to handle such. Even if the DSS provides
intelligence, leading to the apprehension of the suspects, the substantive post
arrest processes including investigations and public updates on progress of
same, statutorily reside with the Nigeria Police Force. To say the least, the
DSS is dangerously over-stepping its statutory bounds and must be called to
order.
Just as the Service goofed
unpardonable in its 9th of April 2016 phantom claims of murdering of
“Five Hausa-Fulani Citizens by IPOB in Abia State”, the DSS has in its latest
statement, made further mockery of the country’s intelligence community
regionally and internationally by unprofessionally muddling up issues and
engaging in falsehood of unpardonable proportion. The DSS is obviously a major
victim of Nigeria’s securitization and intelligence decadence.
However, our major concern here
is another attempt at labelling the IPOB and its leadership as “a terrorist
organization”. The DSS has failed again just as it failed before. Labelling and
stigmatizing the IPOB as “a raging and ravaging terrorist organization” is
totally annoying and reprehensible. The IPOB has been forced by all means by
the Buhari administration through its army, DSS, police, etc to abandon its
strong nonviolence avowal and methodology and where these attempts have failed,
resort to all kinds of stigmatization to label it so has been made and is still
being made.
Records at our disposal, following
our in-depth investigation concerning the arrest of Engineer Chidiebere
Onwudiwe since early hours of Wednesday, 22nd of June 2016, have
again, rubbished the DSS latest claims of “arresting a known IPOB member for
planned terrorist attacks on religious bodies/edifices and Ikeja Computer
Village”. Engineer Chidiebere Onwudiwe, to put the records straight for all
Nigerians and members of the international community”, including the lying DSS;
is the National Coordinator of the IPOB and well known to local and
international rights and media organizations as well as members of
international diplomatic community. He is non violent and has never used or
advocated violence till date.
Some months ago, instructed
agents of the Buhari administration infiltrated the ranks of the IPOB locally
and internationally and successfully planted “strawmen” or moles within the
group, leading to internal division within its ranks. The government sponsored division was put on
hold following the transfer of its leader (Nnamdi Kanu) from DSS underground detention
to Kuje Prisons.
In the 30th of May
2016 violently aborted Igbo/Biafran Heroes Day anniversary, the ranks of the
IPOB were again infiltrated by agents of the Federal Government with heavy
inducement, leading to internal sabotage of the anniversary, with the “purchased”
leaking vital information about the preparation of the peaceful rally to
government, on account of which, as much as 140 unarmed and innocent citizens
were massacred and numerous others deadly shot with live bullets fired by
soldiers, navy and police from automatic weapons.
In the late evening of 21st of June
2016, Mr. Onwudiwe, who resides in Rumukurushi area of Port Harcourt, was
trailed through a certain Sienna car he was driving home with
by some secret operatives aided by some mole-IPOB members. He was trailed to
the front of his residence where he parked and headed into his apartment. He
was returning from the routine meeting of his group in Port Harcourt when he
was sighted with a Sienna car and trailed. Before then, a complaint had been
instigated against him at DSS, Port Harcourt, by some of his members,
compromised by government agents; who alleged leadership crisis.
It was on account of such conspiracy that the
DSS chaps later mobilized and stormed Engineer Chidiebere Onwudiwe’s house in
the hours of the blue law or early morning of 22nd of June 2016;
violently broke his door and swooped on him, leading to his arrest and
detention in the DSS cell till date. It is therefore surprising and shocking as
per how the above scenario is connected to the DSS concoction. How can the DSS
claim that “he was arrested while making logistics supplies for their nefarious
plan”? Does a citizen make logistics supplies in his or her sleep?
The DSS also childishly theorized
Mr. Onwudiwe’s “mechanical and chemical” university training as a surely ticket
of his potentials of “making and detonating bombs”. Planning to “attack
religious bodies/edifices and Ikeja Computer Village”, is further concoction too
many. That a citizen was unjustly arrested and unconstitutionally detained
since 22nd of June 2016 and only for his arrest to be made public
few days to the Sallah celebration, further exposes the Federal Government bent
to give a dog a bad name so as to hang it at all costs.
For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
(Intersociety)
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman
Barr Uju Joy Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
0 comments so far,add yours