Prominent civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has appealed to the captors of the female Igbo-born military officer, Lieutenant P.P. Johnson, kidnapped in Abia State to spare her life and release her forthwith in the spirit of the Yuletide and for the fact that Igbos do not shed Igbo blood without disastrous consequences.

HURIWA, which reacted against the backdrops of the reported abduction by unidentified armed gunmen of the young Army officer of Igbo extraction, appealed to the group holding her hostage to consider releasing her immediately and unconditionally given that she could as well be their very younger sister even as the Rights group emphasised that whatever are the grievances of the unidentified armed non-state actors, such objectives wouldn't be attained or achieved by shedding the precious blood of Igbo people who collectively are subjected to marginalisation in the political scheme of things.

“We plead with the captors of this young Igbo girl taken away forcefully from Abia State by unidentified persons who have shown her in a trending viral video, to free her immediately and not to harm her physically, emotionally or psychologically any further by showcasing her on social media, thereby subjecting her to unwarranted torments and emotional brutality or even threaten her with death.

“Please do not waste her precious and innocent life. Do not attract the angst of the Almighty God.”

HURIWA said too that: “We appeal for mercy for this and any other Igbo citizens being held captive. We ask you in the name of God our creator to kindly release officer J.J. Johnson to return to her duty post. Her enlistment in the military is in no way constituting any crime against the objectives of any group of people. Indeed, we the Igbo people are not adequately represented in the officer status and cadres of the Nigerian military. We urge that whatever grievances that there are can be sorted out by constructive, non-violent dialogues with the civil and military authorities in the country. The South East of Nigeria has been subjected to more than enough killings and attacks. This is the time to opt for peace and dialogues.”

HURIWA recalled that some unknown gunmen (UGM) had abducted a female Nigerian Army officer, P. P. Johnson from Abia State even as in a video seen on Thursday, the captors vowed to kidnap other South easterners serving in the armed forces.

HURIWA recalled that the voice behind the recording said they were UGM, not members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) just as the group holding her hostage said as follows: “This is a wonderful information to our people still in the Nigerian military. That is how you people will die one after the other. “Here it’s happening live in Enugu today 26th of December 2022. A Lieutenant, 2 star in the military” “This is unknown gunmen. Unknown gunmen has nothing to do with IPOB.” “Unknown gunmen doesn’t know IPOB. What we are after is Biafra. Whether they like it or not, we must gain our freedom.”

HURIWA recalled that the media reported that the voice then told the officer to “say goodbye to the world, goodbye to your fellow soldiers, goodbye to this life. Bye bye.

“This is Enugu highway, we’ll be killing them one after the other”, he added.

The incident, according to the media, is believed to have occurred along Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.

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