Shocking Discovery: 95 Obigbo #EndSARS Victims in Kaduna Prisons
Human rights organisation, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), says it has uncovered another set of 95 residents of Obigbo in Rivers State allegedly abducted during the aftermath of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
According to the group, the victims—89 men and six women—were secretly transferred and detained in Kaduna prisons with the knowledge of then Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.
In a statement signed by its Board Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Intersociety said four of those arrested, including one Ugochukwu, have died in custody, while 257 others remain missing.
“It is with rudest shock and deepest dismay that Intersociety is informing the world of the fresh discovery of 95 abducted Obigbo and Orlu residents in Kaduna prisons and detention facilities,” the statement read.
The organisation also released a list of detainees, naming several of them including Humphrey Onyii, Kenechukwu Paul, Oluchi Nwaba, Ozioma Anurika, Pius Victoria, Onyinyechi Chukwuma, Maurine Akapu, and EkeneMaria Chisaram.
Background
The #EndSARS protests, which erupted nationwide in October 2020, began as a youth-led campaign against police brutality, particularly targeting the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). While largely peaceful, the demonstrations were met with heavy crackdowns by security forces. In Obigbo, Rivers State, military operations reportedly led to mass arrests and forced disappearances, with many residents accused of links to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Rights groups have repeatedly accused security agencies of secretly transferring detainees from Rivers and Imo States to distant facilities in the North, especially in Kaduna, making it difficult for families and lawyers to trace them. Several reports also allege torture, prolonged detention without trial, and denial of access to legal representation.
Intersociety said the fresh discovery reinforces earlier findings that hundreds of residents picked up during the Obigbo raids remain unaccounted for nearly five years after the protests. The group urged both federal and state authorities to ensure justice, accountability, and the immediate release of all detainees held without charge.
