The Biafra Independence Movement, (BIM) has said 19 of its members have been missing since they were arrested by Nigerian security forces March 2021.
The group lamented that members of the Movement are hounded day and night, arrested, tortured and detained on trump up allegations without trial.
BIM Director of Information, Chris Mocha, in a statement, disclosed that the group has appealed to the Unrepresented Nations and People’s Organization, UNPO, to urgently prevail on the Nigerian government to halt the ongoing victimization, suppression and arrests of the members of BIM.
According to him, “The arrests, detention since March 21, 2021 without trial of the members of BIM-MASSOB continues unabated in Cross River, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states even after it was established to the security forces that the arrested members have no link or relationship with the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) but they have remained in detention till date
“In the last three months under review, no fewer than 19 BIM-MASSOB members have either disappeared or been arrested, tortured and detained incommunicado by the combined team comprising soldiers, police, Civil Defense and the Department of State Service, DSS.
“The forces should be able to distinguish between a non violent group like BIM-MASSOB which deserves a better deal of respect and honour than other violent agitators like IPOB”
Describing BIM as a peaceful organization, the group insisted that the detained members including one Mr. Ikechukwu Ajah are innocent members, who are campaigning for the resuscitation of Biafra through non violent methods.
BIM urged the United States and other Western nations to take full responsibility of their actions to accord Biafra recognition adding that, “no responsible government will allow her law-abiding citizens to be mowed down on a daily basis as was the case in Nigeria with impunity and no person had been prosecuted.”
