By Uzoma Akobundu
The Owerri High Court has ordered the release of 112 among the IPOB women who were arrested and detained in Imo State during a protest demanding for the whereabouts of Nnamdi Kanu and his parents who were abducted by Nigeria military.
The court ordered that the women, among them pregnant and grand mothers be released unconditionally.
Outrage had greeted their arrest and imprisonment at the Owerri Prisons last week.
On Thursday, the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms of civil society proponents and other members of the public were filled with condemnation of the August 17 arrest and detention of 112 women, aged 20-64 who were protesting the continued detention of leaders of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
The women, according to reports, were also peacefully protesting the where-about of their leader, Nnamdi Kalu, and several other acts of impunity visited on them by the state and federal government.
The women, most of them pregnant and grand parents were rounded up by security operatives working in tandem with the Imo state government and the federal government and were hurriedly taken to the court in Owerri where the magistrate ruled that they be remanded at the Owerri Prison on the basis that the IPOB is a banned organisation.
Even though their lawyer had made efforts to secure their release, they are still being held incommunicado for many days, with their relatives said to be denied assess to them when they tried to send them food.
“The prison officials warned us not to bring food or anything to our loved ones,” one of the detained IPOB relatives told armadanews.com on condition of anonymity on Monday.
.Relatives turned back with food items by Prison officials.
.Crying for justice
The human rights activists in their views wondered why they would be held over offence that was bailable.
They regretted that peaceful protest has been made to look like a death sentence in the country, wondering why the courts would allow themselves to be used to achieve such draconian and authoritarian policies.
On Thursday, the names of over a hundred of such women from Imo State who are being detained under inhumane and degrading conditions at Owerri Federal Prison, Nigeria, were unveiled by the rights activists.
They include:
1. Afoma Umoh Wisdom (64yrs)
2. Virginia Akwufube (62yrs)
3. Ezike Emmanuela (62yrs)
4. Uzoma Oraka (62yrs)
5. Charity Obioha (60yrs)
6. Chinyere Nwachukwu (55yrs)
7. Udeogu Margret (58yrs)
8. Rachel Okengwu (58yrs)
9. Angelina Felix (55yrs)
10. Monica Anaelechi (54yrs)
11. Esther Osuji (52yrs)
12. Florence Olewembu (52yrs)
13. Nkechi Ekwedisika (52yrs)
14. Kosarachukwu Udegbunam (51yrs)
15. Josephine Ogolo (51yrs)
16. Monica Nwaeleke (50yrs)
17. Mabel Okoire (50yrs)
18. Chika Njoku (50yrs)
19. Grace Nkemakolam (50yrs)
20. Paulina Awunezi (50yrs)
21. Christiana Muonwuba (50yrs)
22. Margret Eze (50yrs)
23. Florence Egede (50yrs)
24. Rose Osuchukwu (50yrs)
25. Comfort Uti (50yrs)
26. Nnedinma Onuoha (49yrs)
27. Agatha Nwachukwu (49yrs)
28. Ijeoma Okorie (30yrs)
29. Uloma Ejiogu (30yrs)
30. Victoria Jacob (45yrs)
31. Vivian Ozuruigbo (30yrs)
32. Chinenye Imo (40yrs)
33. Chinyere Egbulom (38yrs)
34. Cynthia Onyebuchi (31yrs)
35. Chigbata Chinyere (38yrs)
36. Egesi Josephine (41yrs)
37. Hope Eze (45yrs)
38. Ikejiofor Amechi (44yrs)
39. Nkeiru Ajagba (45yrs)
40. Ngozi James (46yrs)
41. Nnene Nweke (46yrs)
42. Lucy Mary Kanu (21yrs)
43. Irole Goodness (30yrs)
44. Ogechi Okechukwu (30yrs)
45. Tochukwu Eze (38yrs)
46. Onyemaechi Ijezie (38yrs)
47. Ginika Awuzie (39yrs)
48. Vero Nnamani (30yrs)
49. Nkwoagu Chinenye (22)
50. Ijeoma Victoria Nnadozie (43yrs)
51. Blessing Udeme (25yrs)
52. Nnewuchi Obiageli (31yrs)
53. Ngozi Onyenwugo (22yrs)
54. Ruth Onwumere (45yrs)
55. Nkeiruka Ohanebo (45yrs)
56. Nzube Uwaigwe (22yrs)
57. Eberechi Iheanacho (39yrs)
58. Ego Nwafor (40yrs)
59. Chinyere Eze (32yrs)
60. Mary Okorie
61. Nnenna Okorie (36yrs)
62. Chinyere Eze (43yrs)
63. Iwuneme Bibian (45yrs)
64. Onuoha Ogechi (no age disclosed)
65. Peculiar Nwachukwu (28yrs),
66. Ugonne Godwin (45yrs)
67. Felicia Ike (42yrs)
68. Adaku Inyama (45yrs)
69. Ndidi Uchenna (45yrs)
70. Nneka Kingsley (38yrs)
71. Nkeiru Nwankwo (37yrs)
72. Chinwendu David (38yrs)
73. Juliet Nwaiwu (42yrs)
74. Juliet Onwuka (40yrs)
75. Chinyere Nwankwo (25yrs)
76. Nkeiru Orji (34yrs)
77. Joy Uwabunike (47yrs)
78. Nnene Ibeneli (38yrs)
79. Jane Isaac (25yrs)
80. Kelechi Emmanuel (40yrs)
81. Ngozi Nwajiaku (34yrs)
82. Ugochi Okwum (32yrs)
83. Ifeoma Emmanuel (42yrs)
84. Nkeiru Onyegbari (35yrs)
85. Eucharia Eke (42yrs)
86. Ijeoma Onyedinefu (33yrs)
87. Blessing Nnedede (26yrs)
88. Iheanyichukwu Ogueri (35yrs)
89. Ogochukwu Alaribe (35yrs)
90. Uchechukwu Okoro (48yrs)
91. Iheomachi Ejiaku (40yrs)
92. Uchchukwu Ahamuefula (32yrs)
93. Evelyn Usulo (38yrs)
94. Joy Chimezie (45yrs)
95. Precious Ogbonna (40yrs)
96. Obiageli Nwite (48yrs)
97. Ginika Ndibe (20yrs)
98. Chinelo Ugwueze (38yrs)
99. Nwachukwu Blessing (22yrs)
100. Rita Edet (29yrs)
101. Obiageli Obumsolu (39yrs)
102. Kalunwoke Ekemiri (28yrs),
103. Nwauwa Cecelia (44yrs),
104. Igboka Ngozi,
105. Angela Okeke,
106. Blessing Aguama,
107. Oguchim Chinedu.