The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has claimed the discovery of secret detention centres allegedly used by Nigerian security forces to hold and mistreat Biafra activists. The group, through its Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful, has called attention to alleged human rights abuses, including torture, organ racketeering, and forced disappearances occurring in these facilities.
The facilities purportedly include:
- Military Bases: Wawa Military Base, Goodluck Jonathan’s Army Barrack Ohafia, Zone 9 Umuahia, 82 Division Enugu, Obinze Army Barracks
- Police and Security Agencies: DSS Headquarters Abuja, IRT Abattoir Abuja, Tiger Base Police Detention Owerri, SARS Awkuzu, State CID Headquarters Awka
- Prisons and Detention Facilities: Enugu Maximum Prison, Port Harcourt Maximum Prison, Aba Prison, Kuje Prisons, Keffi Prison, Suleja Prison, and others
IPOB has urged those with missing relatives to check these locations, asserting that many detained are innocent people, including members of other ethnic groups, who are being unjustly held under accusations of being members of IPOB or the Eastern Security Network (ESN), or framed as kidnappers.
The group highlighted the case of IPOB members abducted during a peaceful rally in Port Harcourt in 2016, who are still missing, as an example of ongoing issues with illegal detentions.
IPOB has accused the Nigerian government and its security agencies of profiling and targeting the Igbo ethnic group, among others, and has called for increased public awareness and action to address these alleged abuses.