Missing IPOB/ESN Member: parents appeals to Nigeria Security Agencies
An entreaty has been made by the parents of one Mr. Emeka Simon, one year after his disappearance to the Nigeria Security Forces to release him or return the corpse to the family if he is dead for proper burial ceremony according to tradition and culture concerning the dead.
One of his relations Nkemdirim Simon, complained of the inability of the family to locate Emeka Simon who hails from Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State was a branch deputy leader of Indigenous People of Biafra( IPOB) and its militant wing Eastern Security Network(ESN ) in Umuahia since 2021.
He revealed that Emeka left home since May 30th, 2024 to join Commander Chinemerem( Ban Bam) in Imo state for a peaceful protest to demand for the sovereign state of Biafra Land, due to blatant abuse of power, neglect of the region and marginalization of the South Easterners by the Nigeria Government.
He however expressed fear that
Mr. Emeka Simon may be among those arrested when men of the Nigeria Army neutralized the camp of commander Chinemerem also known as Bam Bam, killing him during the fisticuffs and arrested others during the operation in July 2024.
“Until now, the whereabout of Mr. Emeka Simon is yet to be established, reason why we are making appeal that anyone with information about his whereabouts should let us know”.he said.
The Nigerian army had stated that its troops have killed a suspected kingpin of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militant wing Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Imo State, South-east Nigeria.
The army, in a statement on its Facebook page on Monday, said the troops killed the kingpin and arrested two others during multiple raids of IPOB hideouts in the state.
The army said one of the operations was conducted at a suspected IPOB hideout in Ezeinyen Okwe Umucheke, a community in Onuimo Local Government Area of the state.
It said the operation was targeted at the suspected IPOB kingpin identified as Chinemerem, popularly known as “Bam Bam” in the community.
“The operation led to the neutralisation of Chinemerem, as he attempted to reach for his weapon and the arrest of several of his accomplices,” it said without giving details of the arrested accomplices.
Recall that the defence headquarters had in 2017 tagged IPOB a terrorist organisation, though no ammunition or prohibited weapon was seen with them.
A federal high court in Abuja also proscribed the group, and declared its activities acts of terrorism.