The
Nigerian Army has denied harassing and rough handling women who gathered in
Abiriba, Abia State ,in support of the pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of
Biafra.
A claim made by a group of partly-dressed women
in a video posted online, accusing soldiers of stripping, harassing and
arresting them, was “false” and “sheer propaganda”, the army said in a
statement Saturday.
The 18-minute video posted on Youtube on Friday showed
the women barely clad, some with bare chests while others wore undergarments
and wrappers as they marched to the home of the Abiriba Community chief to
complain about an alleged attack on them by the Nigerian Army.
In the amateur footage, the women accused the army of invading their meeting and seizing
their properties.
“They tore our clothes, took four of our members,
seized our vehicle and properties as they shot sporadically in the air,” one of
the women told the chief in Igbo dialect in the video.
The IPOB leadership in a statement by its
publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, condemned the attack, and blamed soldiers
from the military cantonment at Ohafia, Abia State, for the assault.
He also alleged that the Nigeria police joined
the soldiers in the attack.
Reacting, the deputy director, Public
Relations, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Sagir Musa, said the claims were
aimed at discrediting the army.
Mr.
Musa, a colonel, said, “I was able to confirm from the Officer in Charge of
patrol of Abiriba and its environs, Major Danjuma Ali, and the Divisional
Police Officer in charge of Abiriba, Superintendent Titus Ugwuoke, who briefed
me – there was no truth in IPOB’s accusation.
“Details of what transpired are/were;
“That on Thursday 18 May 2017, at about 1705
hours, soldiers of 14 Brigade Ohafia on routine patrol in Abiriba general area,
received a distressed call alerted them of massive presence of IPOB women wing
in Abiriba township stadium. Most of them (the women) were carrying Biafran
flags, banners and other insignia. Majority were dressed in Biafran T-Shirts.
“Instant intelligence revealed that majority of
the women came from Aba, Awka, Onitsha, Owerri and Port Harcourt axis as
reflected on the various banners exhibited in the stadium.
“By Friday 19 May 2017, at about 0930 hours,
women in large number surged towards the stadium. At that point, the patrol
team moved close to the arena, with intent to monitor them further. On sighting
the team, the women ran out, removed part of their dresses and converged in an
alternate venue where the Divisional Police Officer, Abiriba and His Majesty
Eze Ogbu of Abiriba addressed the gathering. After the Eze’s address, they
peacefully dispersed to their various destinations.
“His Royal Majesty Eze Ogbu has since briefed
the Local Government Chairman and members of the Local Government Security
Council on the matter, and there was nothing to suggest the women were rough
handled or arrested.”
But in the video posted on the social network
site, a man whom the women addressed as the Abiriba community chief said he
would do everything within his power to make sure everything taken from the
women were returned.
“Everybody has a right to associate with
anything or any organisation. It’s a free world,” he said.
-Premium Times
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