How My Non-Involvement In Political Agitation By IPOB Led To Tragic Circumstances, By Unachukwu Sylvanus Emeka
I am Nigerian by birth, but it is conventionally accepted that it is the right of every individual to choose whether or not to be involved in a political struggle/agitation, as guaranteed by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, in my case, my right was grossly violated, to the point that my life and the lives of my family members was at stake, all because of my refusal to be forced into a political movement. My names are Unachukwu Sylvanus Emeka and I am from Anambra State of Nigeria.
Granted that I am Igbo by ethnic nationality and cannot deny that I identify with my fellow Igbos of the South Eastern Region who are legitimately aggrieved, vis-à-vis the political marginalization and numerous other forms of downgrading treatments that has denied the Igbos a sense of belonging in a country they had called their own. But that country appeared to reject them with a clear signal by other major tribes that they are not wanted. Yet, they have refused the Igbos their right to independence under the independent and sovereign state of Biafra.
What led to my own pathetic story, was that the group of Igbo agitators, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), approached me sometime in June 2022 to join the group. Upon my refusal, which was only an expression of my universally guaranteed right to freedom of association, the group started chasing after the whole of my family. They even threatened to kill us just because l didn’t accept their offer of membership. I have often wondered if this is the same group that claims to be fighting against the marginalisation, maltreatment, killing, torture, discrimination, destruction of property and other dehumanising acts against the Igbos by the Nigerian state. The leader of the IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently in detention, was born and bred in the West, precisely the United Kingdom (UK), so he would understand what I am saying, of my right to join or not to join the group.
Yet, some sort of hoodlums from the affected region (Eastern states of Nigeria) went after my life on account of my refusal to join them. The hoodlums also mandated a compulsory Seat At Home every Monday up till this day, as against the Nigeria federal government order to the contrary. The hoodlums, under the guise of representing the IPOB, were hell bent in conscripting me into the group. In their bid to break my resolve, my family’s house was completely burnt down in neighbouring Delta State by those self-styled members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). As evidence of the arson, I have provided two photographs of the burnt building (shown below).They could not even take pity on my old and sick father, but killed him inside the house- that was July 14th 2022 in Delta State, Nigeria. We were then forced into hiding. I and my family have been in hiding since then.
To compound our woes, the level of insecurity in Nigeria was getting worse each passing day. Tried as we could to survive both the IPOB chase and the Nigerian growing insecurity, I and my family members hid ourselves in a church because that is where they may not have expected to find us. We stayed put until someone we didn’t know came and helped us out of the country. That indeed is my pathetic story!
