A Nigerian doctor, Rose Agwu, has pleaded for help after soldiers raided her home in Abia State, arresting her 15-year-old brother and 22-year-old sister. Speaking to Parallel Facts, Agwu said, “I got a call early hours of Friday morning that my siblings, my brother, a 15-year-old teen, and my sister had been taken away by the Nigerian Army. My dad, who witnessed it, said they broke the gate and our iron doors and those of our neighbors and surrounding houses, carrying away anyone they could see. The only reason they didn’t take my dad is because he’s old, in his 70s.”
Agwu, living near Obikabia Junction in Aba, recounted how soldiers broke into her home around 5 am on Friday. She revealed this in a series of posts on her X handle that morning. According to her, no information was provided about her siblings’ whereabouts or the reason for their arrest.
“Till now, they have not been released. We are still trying to locate them. Please help us ask the Nigerian Army the logical reason behind this and how they can account for all the people they took and their plans for them,” Agwu stated. “I don’t want to hear stories, please. This is how people go missing and get killed. Please release my siblings, they know nothing about the shooting or unknown gunmen, please.”
This incident followed the killing of five soldiers at an Army checkpoint in the Aba area on Thursday. After the attack, the military vowed to find the killers. Agwu lamented that her siblings were still in custody 24 hours later, on her sister’s birthday.
“At exactly this time 5 am yesterday while I was at the hospital running my Accident and Emergency shift and saving lives, the Nigerian army broke into my home, forced my 72-year-old father to sit in an unhealthy position while they took away my 15-year-old brother and sister,” she wrote. “Till now my siblings have not been returned home. My family has been in panic and living in fear. The doors and gates were broken, no arrest warrant was shown, no official statement as to why they took my minor sibling or sister. This is not how justice is served!”
She highlighted the traumatic experience her siblings were going through. “Children are experiencing something traumatic even to a grown adult. How will my siblings recover from this assault and abuse of their human rights? Today, June 1, is my sister’s birthday and she’s in Army custody for a crime she knows nothing about. My sister is unproblematic. My family has no relation to the crisis going on in the country. We are law-abiding citizens and mind our business but here we are.”
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Agwu called on state governor, Alex Otti, to rescue her siblings. “It’s my sister’s birthday today! A very traumatic birthday indeed. She’s being held by the Nigerian army who, without intelligence information, moved around arresting innocent law-abiding citizens living around where the attack on soldiers happened.”
Many residents near Obikabia Junction have raised the alarm online about similar raids. A user, CleverNation, claimed his friend was taken away from his hotel room. “They took my friend who came to Aba to buy goods on Monday but had to lodge in a hotel. The military invaded the hotel and carried every occupant away,” he wrote.
Public outrage has grown as Nigerians condemned the home invasions and arrests. Samuel Ajayi, another user, criticized the Army’s approach. “Terrorists and criminals attacked your men, and you go around without intelligence detaining innocent citizens. The real terrorists are still moving freely and can wreak havoc again. Families of innocent people will grieve while terrorists strike again. The cycle continues. Lawlessness.”
Another user, Ike God, called for proper investigations. “I call on Alex Otti to interface with the @HQNigerianArmy Chief, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of all innocent and hapless Abia teenagers and youths abducted by rogue elements within the Nigerian Army on a reprisal attack.”
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