• HURIWA, others condemn violations of Igboayaka’s rights
The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, dismissing earlier speculations that he was abducted or kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

In a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, the police revealed that Igboayaka was arrested on Saturday evening in Owerri, Imo State, following a petition submitted to the Ebonyi State Police Commissioner.

According to the statement, the petition accused the youth leader of disseminating false information capable of disrupting peace and destabilising communities in Ebonyi State.

“The Ebonyi State Command is aware of the information circulating in the media alleging the abduction of the President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, on February 8, 2025.

“To clarify, he was arrested by officers from the command based on a petition submitted to the Commissioner of Police, which alleged he disseminated false information capable of truncating peace and destabilising communities in Ebonyi State,” Ukandu said.

The command noted that investigations are ongoing, and Igboayaka would be charged in court upon conclusion of the inquiry.

“The command reiterates its commitment to carrying out its mandate within the bounds of the law, while respecting the rights of individuals,” the statement added.

However, several civil society organisations and concerned individuals criticised the manner in which Igboayaka, was arrested, describing it as a violation of due process.

They expressed concern that the police in Imo State, where Igboayaka was apprehended, were neither informed about his arrest nor his whereabouts disclosed until 48 hours later.

The Igbo National Council (INC), through its President, Mr Chilos Godsent, condemned the arrest, likening it to a “Neo Mafia Gestapo” operation.

He said: “The abduction of Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka in Owerri by a team of police from a neighbouring state without due process calls for a review of the security architecture in the South-East region of Nigeria. This style of arrest brutally violates the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. We call on Governor Francis Ogbonna Erishi Nwifuru to immediately order the unconditional release of Igboayaka.”

Similarly, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) condemned the arrest.

The group’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, criticised the Ebonyi State Police Command for disregarding the provisions of the Police Act of 2020.

HURIWA said: “The gestapo-style invasion of the Owerri home of the Youth President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and his arrest is condemnable. From credible eyewitness accounts, the methodology applied by the operatives mirrors the tactics of bandits and kidnappers, which is not in line with the Nigerian Police Act.”

Onwubiko further accused the police of acting prematurely, given that the allegations against Igboayaka are still under investigation.

“It is unconstitutional to deny a citizen their fundamental freedoms of movement and liberty when the allegations against them are unsubstantiated. The Police Act mandates officers to inform suspects of their rights, allow access to legal representation, and notify their next of kin immediately after an arrest,” he stated.

Citing specific sections of the Police Act, HURIWA stressed that suspects must not be subjected to inhumane treatment and demanded the immediate release of Igboayaka.

The group also called on the Federal Attorney General to intervene and ensure that the Ebonyi State Police Command is held accountable for its actions.