enforcing the Islamic Sharia law on Christians in Aba, Abia State.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that masked soldiers went berserk ,
arresting and shaving off some youths with dreadlocks and coloured hairs
and took them to their base at Ngwa High School, Aba.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that over 35 residents were arrested at
Umungasi area, Ehi and St Michael’s Roads and flogged before being
driven away in military vans.
Eyewitnesses said, “Their targets were young men who wore dreadlocks,
adorn spray (colour), on their hairs and had grown hairs. The masked
soldiers brutalized and flogged several of their victims; they used
scissors to scrap their hairs and then threw them into their vans and
zoomed off.
Media and Publicity Secretary, IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful, said its
investigations revealed that the soldiers boasted that they will soon
arrest ladies and mothers that wear mini skirt and forms of short
clothing in the city. IPOB wondered when it had become the soldiers’
duty to enforce the dress code in a democratic nation.
The pro Biafra group warned that the soldiers’ action amounts to
enforcing Islamic Sharia law on citizens of a region that are 100
percent Christians and adherents of the Jewish and traditional religions
and urged civilized nations of the world to beam their lights on the
activities of the Nigerian Army in Aba.
IPOB said that the Army had since abandoned its duty of enforcing
security to terrorize innocent citizens and engaging small boys to
extort motorists.
According to IPOB, “We the global family of the Indigenous people of
Biafra (IPOB) condemn the incessant and illegal arrest of innocent
people in Aba, Abia State since Saturday 27th July, 2019 by Nigeria
soldiers. The unconstitutional and illegal arrest of Biafran citizens
in Aba since last Saturday must stop.
“This same Nigerian Army that has failed woefully to fight Boko Haram or
curb the activities of Fulani terror herdsmen are busy in Aba arresting
people for no reason. Nigerian soldiers are in Aba terrorizing the
residents for no just cause. They have been abducting innocent citizens
and taking them to unknown locations. There is no war going on anywhere
in Biafraland but every kilometer is Fulani army checkpoint. They even
boasted that they will start arresting ladies and mothers that wear mini
skirt or any form of short dress in Aba.
“They are in effect enforcing Islamic Sharia law in 100% Judeo-Christian
Aba. Is it now the duty of an army to enforce the dress codes in a
supposed secular democracy? We wish to place the United States
Ambassador to Nigeria on notice that the mass arrests of Biafrans going
on in Aba is unacceptable.
“We duly expect him to notify the State Department in Washington about
this ugly development. We know the British High Commission in Nigeria
will always support them, but when we start the defense of our land
nobody should blame us.
“Mainstream media in Nigeria should equally note what the Nigerian Army
is doing in Aba for future reference because, we shall resist this and
any attempt to start silent genocide in our land with all our might and
when we do, they should always remember the Nigerian Army first started
it.
“With all these going on in Aba, we call on men and women of goodwill
across the world to prevail upon the Nigerian government of Fulani in
Aso Rock and their Nigerian Army to release those they arrested on
Saturday in Aba without further delay because they committed no crime.”
Contacted on the development, the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public
Relations, 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Major Aliu Kadiri, explained that the
Army headquarters is aware of the matter.
He said, “If there is a new special operation going on in Aba, I will
find out from the Commanding Officer and confirm. We are on the issue of
the haircut, you understand. Our headquarters have called us on it, we
are working on it.”