Veteran Nollywood actor, Chinwetalu Agu, who was initially arrested on October 7 by the Nigerian Army and later released only to be arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) has been flown to Abuja for further interrogations and investigation over his links with the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Agu, who has starred in several movies, including ‘Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story’, which is now showing on Netflix, has been a known supporter of the Biafra struggle a critic of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly marginalising the Igbos in Nigeria.
He is specifically under arrest for promoting the secession of Biafra from Nigeria and allegedly inciting members of the public.
The veteran actor was first arrested by the Army on October 7, 2021, around Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State, for wearing a Biafran outfit while distributing bread and other items to the poor.
The Army had accused him of soliciting support for IPOB has been accused of several acts of terrorism. He was later handed over to the DSS for further investigation and prosecution.
But family members of the veteran actor are lamenting that since his arrest, they have been denied access to him since he was moved from the Army detention centre in Onitsha to the former regional capital of Enugu before his airlift to Abuja.
Agu’s family member said: “We spent two days trying to ascertain his whereabouts. We were later informed that he was moved to Enugu and then Abuja.
“We heard that the idea is to move him away from the South-East. We have made efforts to see him, but the DSS has not granted us access. Even the lawyers have not been allowed to reach him.”
Attempts to get a response from DSS spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunaya, proved abortive as he rejected calls; while a text message had not yet been responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Originally published in PUNCH