Biafra: Intersociety releases photo, names of women arrested in Imo

The International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
(Intersociety), has asked the Nigerian and Imo State Governments to
discontinue, withdraw and discharge all the 10-count charges of
treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit treasonable felony and
terrorism levelled against over 100 women arrest during a pro Biafra
protest.

Intersociety, in a statement signed by Board Chairman Emeka
Umeagbalasi and Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law Programme,
Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq, accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led
administration of pushing Igbos to the wall.

"The incarcerated Mothers of Igbo Nation deserve apologies and
reparative packages for their wrongful detention and being labeled
"terrorists" and "felons" in Government's panicky and draconian
response to their use of "braziers as human rights kits" to protest
Government's sundry atrocities against their children and husbands,"
it said.

"In line with the recent Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on
unconstitutionality of the so called "Holden Charge", we further call
upon the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the AGF, as case may be, to
issue a practice direction to all Magistrates in Nigeria to refrain
from using their Courts to effect indiscriminate dumping of suspects
in prison custodies especially in offences the said Magistrates and
their Courts do not have jurisdiction to try,"

"Common sense and logic suffix that where a Magistrate Court cannot
exercise jurisdiction over an offence before the Court, such zero
jurisdiction must be exercised fully including non admittance of the
arraignment of the suspects connected to the zero jurisdiction matter
or by not allowing the charge sheet to be read in open Court. The
arresting and detaining authorities coming to the Court with such zero
jurisdiction matter should be sent out of the Court or ordered to take
their detainees to the appropriate Courts (i.e. High Court) and
charged them accordingly.

"Analysis done by Intersociety on their social and family backgrounds
clearly shows that most of them are mothers of young children. Those
under this category are between the ages of 22 and 45, numbering 80.
Yet their incarceration and torture has attracted little or no
attention locally and internationally.

"This is in spite of the fact that they did not commit any felony
during their street protest, with no gun or rifle of any kind or IEDs
found in their possession or from any of them; except flags and
insignias and other faith objects such as bangles, chaplets, bibles,
necklaces, sachets of water, etc. Still they were arrested, detained,
tortured and labeled "terrorists" and "treasonable felons"; with the
world maintaining inexplicable silence of congregated and aggregated
proportion till date.

"It is recalled that the incarcerated Mothers of the Igbo Nation whose
names are provided below had on 17th August 2018 embarked on peaceful
street protest (guaranteed by Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999
Constitution under rights to freedom of expression, assembly and
movement) in Owerri, Imo State.

"The street protest was organised by the unarmed, defenseless and
innocent women to express their deep displeasure over persecutory
policies of the present central Government in Igbo Land including
ceaseless killing in hundreds by the same Government of unarmed and
defenseless pro Biafra activists and maiming of hundreds of others as
well as planned "Army Python Dance 111" and non disclosure of the
whereabouts of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and his royal parents, HRH, Eze Israel
Okwu and Lolo Ugoeze Nnene Kanu who reportedly went missing following
the military invasion of their Afara-ukwu Palace near, Umuahia on 14th
September 2017.

"The police and other security agencies, on orders of the Government
of Imo State and the Federal Government of Nigeria resorted to use of
draconian methods by getting them rounded up and detained for three
days at the State Police Command Headquarters in Owerri; from where
they were arraigned at Owerri Magistrate Court, presided over Mrs.
S.K. Kaduruma. The arraignment was with charge number: OW/430/2018: CP
Imo State v Ijeoma Okorie (30yrs) & 111 ors. The Legal and Prosecution
Department of the State Police Command represented by SP Thaddeus
Okechukwu later read 10-count spurious charges of "treasonable
felony", "conspiracy to commit treasonable felony", "terrorism", among
others.

"Despite efforts made by their team of lawyers led by Barr Ifeanyi
Ejiofor to draw the judicial attention of the presiding Magistrate,
Mrs. S.K. Kaduruma to the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of
Nigeria to the effect that "a Magistrate Court that does not have
jurisdiction to try an offense brought before her, cannot exercise
same jurisdiction she does not have by remanding the alleged offenders
of the offence to prison custody", the presiding Magistrate ignored
same, hiding under the same cover of "orders from above" and remanded
the 112 Mothers to prison custody and adjourned till 3rd September
2018.

Intersociety, in the statement, identified most of the incarcerated
women follows: Afoma Umoh Wisdom (64yrs), Virginia Akwufube (62yrs),
Ezike Emmanuela (62yrs), Uzoma Oraka (62yrs), Charity Obioha (60yrs),
Chinyere Nwachukwu (55yrs), Udeogu Margret (58yrs), Ratchel Okengwu
(58yrs), Angelina Felix (55yrs), Monica Anaelechi (54yrs), Esther
Osuji (52yrs), Florence Olewembu (52yrs), Nkechi Ekwedisika (52yrs),
Kosarachukwu Udegbunam (51yrs), Josephine Ogolo (51yrs), Monica
Nwaeleke (50yrs), Mabel Okoire (50yrs), Chika Njoku (50yrs), Grace
Nkemakolam (50yrs), Paulina Awunezi (50yrs), Christiana Muonwuba
(50yrs), Margret Eze (50yrs), Florence Egede (50yrs), Rose Osuchukwu
(50yrs), Comfort Uti (50yrs), Nnedinma Onuoha (49yrs), Agatha
Nwachukwu (49yrs).

Ijeoma Okorie (30yrs), Uloma Ejiogu (30yrs), Victoria Jacob (45yrs),
Vivian Ozuruigbo (30yrs), Chinenye Imo (40yrs), Chinyere Egbulom
(38yrs), Cynthia Onyebuchi (31yrs), Chigbata Chinyere (38yrs), Egesi
Josephine (41yrs), Hope Eze (45yrs), Ikejiofor Amechi (44yrs), Nkeiru
Ajagba (45yrs), Ngozi James (46yrs), Nnene Nweke (46yrs), Lucy Mary
Kanu (21yrs), Irole Goodness (30yrs), Ogechi Okechukwu (30yrs),
Tochukwu Eze (38yrs), Onyemaechi Ijezie (38yrs), Ginika Awuzie
(39yrs), Vero Nnamani (30yrs), Nkwoagu Chinenye (22), Ijeoma Victoria
Nnadozie (43yrs), Blessing Udeme (25yrs), Nnewuchi Obiageli (31yrs),
Ngozi Onyenwugo (22yrs), Ruth Onwumere (45yrs), Nkeiruka Ohanebo
(45yrs), Nzube Uwaigwe (22yrs), Eberechi Iheanacho (39yrs), Ego Nwafor
(40yrs), Chinyere Eze (32yrs).

Adaku Inyama (45yrs), Ndidi Uchenna (45yrs), Nneka Kingsley (38yrs),
Nkeiru Nwankwo (37yrs), Chinwendu David (38yrs), Juliet Nwaiwu
(42yrs), Juliet Innocent Onwuka (40yrs), Chinyere Nwankwo (25yrs),
Nkeiru Orji (34yrs), Joy Uwabunike (47yrs), Nnene Ibeneli (38yrs),
Jane Isaac (25yrs), Kelechi Emmanuel (40yrs), Ngozi Nwajiaku (34yrs),
Ugochi Okwum (32yrs), Ifeoma Emmanuel (42yrs), Nkeiru Onyegbari
(35yrs), Eucharia Eke (42yrs), Ijeoma Onyedinefu (33yrs), Blessing
Nnedede (26yrs), Iheanyichukwu Ogueri (35yrs), Ogochukwu Alaribe
(35yrs), Uchechukwu Okoro (48yrs), Iheomachi Ejiaku (40yrs), Uchchukwu
Ahamuefula (32yrs).

Evelyn Usulo (38yrs), Joy Chimezie (45yrs), Precious Ogbonna (40yrs),
Obiageli Nwite (48yrs), Ginika Ndibe (20yrs), Chinelo Ugwueze (38yrs),
Nwachukwu Blessing (22yrs), Rita Edet (29yrs), Nnenna Okorie (36yrs),
Chinyere Eze (43yrs), Iwuneme Bibian (45yrs), Onuoha Ogechi (no age),
Peculiar Nwachukwu (28yrs), Felicia Ike (42yrs), Obiageli Obumsolu
(39yrs) Ugonne Godwin (45yrs), Kalunwoke Ekemiri (28yrs), Nwauwa
Cecelia (44yrs), Igboka Ngozi, Angela Okeke, Blessing Aguama, Oguchim
Chinedu and Mary Okorie (classified in their charge sheet as "adults"
but possibly in their 70s).

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