By Charles Nwoke
At least 80 elderly men and women from the Ndukwe community in Amasiri, Ebonyi State, on Thursday, stormed the Nkwegu Military Cantonment in Abakaliki to demand the immediate release of two detained community leaders.
The detainees, Lawrence Ikpe, Chairman of the Uke Ndukwe Ruling Council, and Onwuameze Caleb Uche, Ndukwe Youth Leader, have reportedly been held by the military for over four weeks following their arrest at a peace meeting in April.
The octogenarians, visibly frail and supported by walking sticks, arrived in buses and limped into the military facility with determination. They were unable to meet the Cantonment Commandant, who was said to be away on official duty with the state governor. Undeterred, the elderly women collapsed to the ground, weeping and pleading for the release of their sons.
Chief Simon Eze Idam, who spoke on behalf of the group, recounted the events that led to the arrests. According to him, the crisis began on January 20, 2025, when Ndukwe youths were clearing bushes at Akanto Primary School in preparation for school reopening, as directed by Afikpo Local Government. During the exercise, armed men from the Edda community reportedly attacked them and abducted six youths.
“Since then, the boys have not been found,” Idam said. “We reported the incident to the Police.”
He added that another attack occurred on April 4 at Ozara Okangwu, where two more youths were kidnapped. In response, the local government chairman invited both communities to a peace meeting. It was during this meeting at the Afikpo council headquarters that the military arrested Ikpe and Uche.
“We don’t understand why our leaders were arrested while those responsible for the violence and kidnappings walk free,” Idam lamented.
Efforts by the community to secure the release of the two men, including appeals through official channels, have so far failed. The elders expressed frustration that even after a reported directive from Governor Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru ordering the release, the Army has yet to comply.
“We came here today because our pleas through other means have not worked,” said another elder. “We believe the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, is a just man. We ask him to intervene and order their release.”
The protesters stressed that Amasiri is a peaceful community and accused Edda residents, who they said are not even their neighbours, of repeatedly attacking them.
As the sun set on the protest, the elders vowed not to relent until justice was done and their sons returned home. The Nigerian Army has yet to issue a formal response to the protest or the allegations.
