The Coalition of South East Leaders (COSEYL), umbrella body of all the youth groups in the region, has condemned the arrest and rearrest of the veteran Actor, Chief Chinwetalu Agu, by the military and Department of State Services (DSS).Agu, who was arrested by the Army at Onitsha for adoning a red and black coloured cloth with a rising colour, on Friday regained freedom only to be rearrested by DSS same day.
COSEYL in a statement by its President General, Hon. Goodluck Ibem, described it as an intimidation and humiliation of Igbo nation, and urged for his immediate freedom.
“COSEYL condemns in strongest terms the manhandling and torture of a professional and prolific actor of Southeast extraction Mr Chiwetalu Agu in Onitsha by Nigerian Army and arrest by the DSS for wearing a red, green and black clothe that has a drawing of a sun on it.
“The manhandling and torture by the Army and arrest by the Department of State Security, DSS of an elderly Igbo man like Chiwetalu Agu in broad daylight confirm to the entire world the hatred and disdain the Nigerian Army and the DSS have against Ndigbo. The Nigerian army and the DSS are now agencies for the harassment, intimidation and killing of Ndigbo. What the army did to the Igbo actor is gross ethnic vendetta .
“This is travesty of the law and we condemn it in its entirety. We demand the unconditional and immediate release of Mr Chinwetalu Agu by the DSS and we demand that the army and the DSS should pay compensation to him for the injury and inhuman treatments meted out to him. Enough of insults and intimidation against the Igbo Nation by security agencies,” Ibem added.
