Twenty-one Shalom Church members and other Christian denominations praying in the residence of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, were arrested by security operatives yesterday.

Those abducted by security agents are Jewish worshipers, who converged on Kanu’ residence at Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia, to pray.
Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, disclosed this, yesterday, in a statement made available to newsmen.

He said the Jewish worshippers were praying when they were abducted and “currently undergoing severe torture” from the security agents at Central Police Station Umuahia, and Zone 9 Force Headquarters, Ehimiri Estate, Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia.

He called on men and women of good conscience, the U.S. embassy and all civilised nations “to see reasons to fight and stop these barbaric moves towards brazen Islamisation and religious intolerance in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Kanu’s family has condemned Abia State police command over the arrest. The Jewish community had since last Thursday converged to pray for Kanu, who they see as one of theirs, as he had always celebrated and identified with the Jewish community in Nigeria and Africa at large. Spokesman of the family, Prince Emma Kanu, after observing the Saturday night stars appearance, said three of the Jewish members went out to buy food and were accosted by police at a nearby checkpoint and their Kapa and Talit forcefully collected.
Emma Kanu said when four elders of the Jewish community went to the checkpoint and pleaded with the policemen to release the seized items of their members, the four elders he said were arrested and taken to the command headquarters for no just cause.

The spokesman alleged that as the over 100 Jewish community observing the Shabbat protested to the police headquarters over the arrest of their members, they were tear-gassed by the police and more of them arrested.
Emma Kanu said the police should do themselves good by releasing the worshippers, who he said had done nothing wrong that would warrant their arrest.

“The Fulani herdsmen are killing innocent Nigerians, including in Abia State, on daily basis and nothing has been done against them, not even one arrest has been made.” (Daily Sun)

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