IPOB Lawyer Ejiofor Demands Immediate Release of Igbo Youths Held at Wawa Barracks

ENUGU, Nigeria — Human rights lawyer and lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene and order the release of hundreds of Igbo youths allegedly being unlawfully detained at the Wawa Barracks.

In a statement titled “Midweek Musing: When Justice Looks North and Blinks South — The Irony of Selective Prosecution and the Silent Suffering of a People,” Ejiofor condemned the prolonged detention of the youths without trial, calling it a severe violation of their constitutional rights.

He highlighted a perceived imbalance in the application of justice across Nigeria, particularly between the North and the South-East. According to Ejiofor, northern individuals accused of terrorism and banditry during the tenure of former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, SAN, were largely not prosecuted, while Igbo youths are frequently arrested, blindfolded, and held in extended custody.

Ejiofor stated: “Nigeria has tested the patience of the Igbo people for far too long. The continued detention of these youths has no legal or moral justification.”

He also referenced recent disclosures from the Department of State Services (DSS) in the ongoing prosecution of Malami, which allegedly revealed that individuals predominantly from northern Nigeria listed as financiers of terrorism were not prosecuted despite intelligence-backed evidence.

Ejiofor described the situation as deeply ironic and unjust, urging swift governmental action to release the detained youths and restore public trust in Nigeria’s legal system.