Lawyers Demand End to Secret Detention in South-east

A coalition of independent lawyers in the South-east, addressing journalists in Umuahia, condemned the prolonged and secret detention of youths allegedly arrested during security operations. The lawyers, working with the human rights group Fiat Justicia Juris, demanded that authorities either produce these individuals in court or release them.

Lead counsel Mr. Olusegun Adekoya stated that families have suffered due to the lack of information regarding their detained relatives. They emphasized that detention should not replace trial and insisted on the constitutional rights of individuals, regardless of their alleged association with the proscribed group IPOB.

The lawyers highlighted the case of Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who has been in detention since 2021 and reportedly died in custody, demanding her remains be returned to her family and an investigation into her death. They plan to compile a register of missing persons to submit to international human rights bodies, urging the global community to address allegations of arbitrary detention and torture in the region.