Some of the leaders of the Igbo National Council (INC), an affiliation of the pan-Igbo organization, OHANAEZE NDI IGBO, have been arrested and are now being detained by the State Security Service (SSS) in Enugu. 

Among those being held by the security operatives are the Coordinator of the INC, Chief Meshack Umeike, two former special aides to the immediate past governor of Enugu State, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani in persons of Barrister Sam Mba and chief Nana Ogbodo.

 The arrests were made on Thursday at the Sunshine hotel, New Haven, Enugu, when the security operatives invaded the hotel and disrupted a press briefing that was being held by the Igbo group, picking them in the process.

But for the intervention of the journalists at the press briefing, members of the SSS who stormed the premises would have seized the camera belonging to the MINAJ Broadcasting International, as the law enforcement agents demanded the film of the event.

 Though no official reason was immediately given by the SSS for the arrest of the Igbo leaders, the state director of the security department of government, Mr. Francis Sonaike, when he spoke on telephone, queried why the press briefing was held out side the Press Centre but the reporters told him that this is an era of democracy, that people were fundamentally right to express their opinion on issues concerning them and that the press was not restricted to only the Press Centre for people to interact with them legitimately.

It was also gathered that the invasion might not be unconnected with the issues of marginalization of the Igbo which was the cannel of the media interaction by the INC.

Prior to the invasion of the law-enforcement agents, the Coordinator of the INC, Chief Umeike had in his address at the Press Briefing told the reporters that “The Igbo National Council is an Igbo nationalistic group that came into existence during Abacha days and was a major stakeholder in NADECO. INC is an affiliate of OHANAEZE NDIGBO under the able and capable leadership of Dr Dozie Ikedife”

The Igbo group frowned in its entirety at what it observed as the killing and destruction of Igbo property, extreme policing of the Igbo nation since the end of the civil war, the excision of oil-bearing territories in Igboland to other areas, among other crucial issues of concern to the Igbo.

They roundly accused the Olusegun Obasanjo administration maintaining a vicious policy of annihilation against the Igbo, adding that the former regime elevated racial and ethnic hatred against Ndigbo.

“There is hardly any federal road in Igbo land that is motor able .Obasanjo went ahead to lay the foundation for total genocide against Ndigbo through deliberate policies of his government that were clearly targeted at Ndigbo and their interests”, they lamented.   

  The group remarked, “The Obasanjo administration embarked on serial destruction of companies and industries owned by Ndigbo, while the one of people from other parts of the country were flourishing. 

Chief Umeike also alleged that the continued incarceration of the leader of the Movement for Survival of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), chief Ralph Uwazuruike, was an extension of Igbo marginalization, pointing out that Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Otunba Gani Adams and Dr Fredrick Fasheun were all arrested at about the same time on various allegations.

“None of the allegations leveled against these people has been proved in court. Dr Fasheun and Adams, who are Yorubas have long regained their freedom. Dokubo, who is an Ijaw has just been released while Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, who is and Igbo is still being kept in detention”, the group stated.