A call has gone to the Nigerian Police Force by the family of one Mr. Akuma Oliver Chidebele, their son who has been missing after leading a protest in Umuahia, Abia state on 8th of April 2017, demanding for an unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra who has been facing treason charges against Nigeria since 2015.
Mr. Oliver, a top member of the IPOB, held from Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State but resided in Umuahia Abia State, was among those that has been fighting for the emancipation of Biafra land as an independent country.
Before the reported missing, Mr. Oliver, has had altercations with the Nigeria police and had been detained sometime ago with over 50 members of his group in 2017 over their activities with IPOB.
A security man who spoke with newsmen on condition of anonymity said that Mr. Oliver escaped from their detention and has been on the wanted list of the security forces.
However, a spokesman of the family, Chief Joseph Akuma, said since January 2021, a group of Nigeria police force occasionally come here to harass them to provide Oliver and in one of such hunt destroyed his compound, since then nothing has been heared about Oliver or his whereabout.
“The harassment became unbearable since IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu was forcefully abducted in Kenya since June 2021 by the Nigeria Government and we have to flee for our lives” he said.
He described Mr. Oliver, as a peaceful man who hate marginalisation of all persons, reason why he joined IPOB to agitate for the liberation of the South Eastern region from Nigeria.
Chief Joseph therefore call on the Nigeria Police to release Mr. Oliver Akuma Chidebele, if they are the one holding him so that he could care for his family and aged parents who are grieving and suffering untold hardship.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the police spokesperson in Abia State Central Police Station in Umuahia, Mr Marreen Chikata, through phone calls proved abortive, his number fail to go through before filing this report.
Also recall that before now the IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, has questioned the unlawful detention of IPOB members who are only protesting for freedom while the terrorists herdsmen are roaming freely on the streets of Nigeria kidnappiņg, killing and causing mayhem.
He called on the Nigeria security forces to as a matter of urgency stop indiscriminate arrest, detention and killing of it members.