A human rights advocate, Xavier Chinaecherem Mkpachi-Oko, has written an open letter to the member representing Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Idu Ighariwey, accusing him of remaining silent over the alleged punishment of residents of Amasiri community in Ebonyi State.
In the letter dated March 6, 2026, Mkpachi-Oko said the people of Amasiri have been facing hardship for more than a month, including arrests, closure of schools and health facilities, and the destruction of cultural sites.
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According to him, the situation has lasted for about 34 days, and he questioned why the lawmaker representing the area had not publicly spoken about the crisis.
“Where is Hon. Idu Ighariwey while the people who elected him are being crushed?” he asked in the letter.
The lawyer alleged that traditional rulers in the community were removed and arrested, while several residents were detained without trial. He also claimed that schools and hospitals in the community had been shut down and that many youths had fled the area due to fear.
Mkpachi-Oko further alleged that security forces deployed to the community had harassed residents and that elderly women protesting the situation were dispersed with tear gas.
“Your silence is not neutral. It is complicity,” he said, adding that the lawmaker had a constitutional duty to defend the rights of the people who elected him.
The rights advocate also expressed concern over reports that shrines and traditional institutions in the community were being destroyed, describing it as an attack on the cultural identity of Amasiri.
He urged Ighariwey to publicly address the situation, investigate the actions taken against the community, and call for the restoration of schools, health services and other public institutions.
Mkpachi-Oko also asked the lawmaker to clarify reports that he had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
The letter was copied to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association and other organisations.
As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official response from Ighariwey regarding the allegations raised in the letter.