The Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) Ebonyi State chapter has condemned the reported escape of about 55 mercenaries arrested in connection to the lingering communal war in Effium, Ohaukwu local government area of the state.
Journalist101 had reported that 55 out of the 66 Uffiom war mercenaries arrested on Saturday afternoon by army at Okpoduma village of Uffiom community and handed over to police have escaped from police custody.
HURIDE in a statement signed by the chairman of Ebonyi State chapter, Sampson Oko Nweke; the Publicity Secretary, Chinasa Awo Okereke and the head of legal unit, Barr S. N Ekigbo gave the government and the police 24 hours to provide the missing mercenaries as they won’t “allow the lives of innocent Ebonyians sacrificed continually on the altar of business bargains.”
The statement reads:
The Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) Ebonyi State chapter has received with utter disappointment the shocking circulation exposing that 55 out of the 66 Uffiom war mercenaries arrested Saturday afternoon by army at Okpoduma village of Uffiom community in Ohaukwu LGA of Ebonyi State and handed over to police have escaped from police custody. The arrests were made following the protracted communal war between Uffiom people and Ezza People in Effium which has claimed hundreds of lives and properties worth Billions destroyed. The suspected machineries who were caught wielding guns and charms were said to have been hired from Jukun, Igala, CrossRiver, ETC to kill Ezza people and destroy their homes.
An eye witness narrated that after the arrest of the suspects and recovery of the arms and charms, the GOC and the team proceeded to Nwekendiagu village in the community for same operation while the suspects were handed over to the police by the GOC for movement to police headquarter, Abakaliki for further investigation. But immediately the team left the community, it was gathered that 55 out the 66 suspects escaped from the custody while their whereabouts have remained unknown.
Against this backdrop therefore, the Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) Ebonyi State chapter is rising in utter condemnation of this ugly development which is capable of steering up a fresh crisis in the state.
Our group is prevailing on the state governor,Engr Dave Umahi to do the needful. We are also holding the police responsible and demand that all the arrested machineries must be accounted for because if any of them escapes, it will spell compromise betrayal of public trust for the police and can aggravate the already heigtened tension in the state.
HURIDE is making it bold and clear that any attempt to hide the identities of the arrested warlords or set them free secretly without trial must be resisted. We are giving EBONYI State Police Command and the government of EBONYI state 24hrs to come out clean on this heavy allegations because HURIDE cannot allow the lives of innocent Ebonyians sacrificed continually on the altar of business bargains.
However, if the police and Ebonyi state government maintains silence till the end of this ultimatum, HURIDE may be forced to believe the circulating insinuations alleging that Ebonyi state government in collaboration with Chief Cletus Ibeto and Clement Odah has a hand in this war that has claimed hundreds of human lives and rendered many homeless because of the limestone and other mineral resources discovered in Ezza-Effium community. If established to be true, HURIDE will mobilize at least two thousand Ebonyians for a volcanic peaceful protest and will remain on the streets of Abakaliki until the right thing is done.
Signed: Sampson Oko Nweke; HURIDE Chairman, Ebonyi state.
Chinasa Awo Okeree; HURIDE Publicity Secretary,Ebonyi state.
Barr S. N Ekigbo! Head, HURIDE Legal Department.
HURIDE……………. Advancing Peace in the World.
