Responding to mounting reports of profiling, targeted extortion, and arbitrary arrests, President-General Azuta Mbata sets up a specialized investigative panel to document abuses across Nigeria and the diaspora.
The Global Executive Council (GEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has officially inaugurated a specialized Committee on Human Rights to thoroughly investigate mounting allegations of systemic rights abuses, targeted victimisation, and arbitrary detentions of Igbo citizens across Nigeria and international diaspora corridors.
The President-General of the apex socio-cultural organization, Senator John Azuta Mbata, inaugurated the high-level panel during an emergency executive meeting held on Friday, May 29, 2026, at the Ohanaeze National Secretariat in Enugu.
Disclosing the development via a formal communique released to journalists in Enugu, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, stated that the establishment of the committee became a matter of urgent regional importance following a relentless barrage of petitions.
He revealed that a disturbing pattern of extortion, profiling, harassment, and intimidation has left thousands of Igbo youths caught in arbitrary legal nets, with many currently languishing in prolonged pre-trial detentions across various custodial facilities nationwide without formal charges or legal representation.
The human rights tracking body is chaired by Barrister Chizoba Iheka, the Assistant National Legal Adviser of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. Dr. Chukwu noted that Iheka’s extensive courtroom experience, deep understanding of constitutional architecture, and active background in public advocacy will provide the committee with the legal leverage required to execute the delicate national assignment.
The panel has been handed a multi-layered terms of reference, focusing on identifying specific hotspots of institutional bias and opening up lines of communication with detained individuals to secure their unconditional release or ensure a fair trial.
“The committee is established in response to a myriad of complaints and disturbing reports indicating that many Igbos, particularly youths, have become victims of extortion, harassment, intimidation, and unlawful arrests. Ohanaeze remains deeply committed to the protection of the rights, dignity, and constitutional freedoms of Igbos everywhere. The organization believes that no citizen should be subjected to unlawful treatment, discrimination, or abuses on account of ethnicity, social status, or political perception,” Dr. Ezechi Chukwu declared.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural body made an open appeal to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), international watchdogs, civil society organizations, and the leadership of the nation’s primary security agencies to extend maximum cooperation to the committee.
Emphasizing that national stability, civic patriotism, and mutual trust cannot survive in an environment of perceived state-sanctioned hostility, Ohanaeze reassured Ndigbo globally that it will continuously deploy legitimate diplomatic, legal, and constitutional measures to protect the lives and liberties of its people.
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