Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The disappearance of Sunday Ifedi and Calista Ifedi, a couple from Ezeagu community in Enugu State, has plunged their family into uncertainty and hardship for over four years. The couple was reportedly taken from their home on 23 November 2021 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged membership in the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Since then, their whereabouts remain unknown.
Their 21-year-old daughter, who now bears the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings and a cousin, narrated the family's ordeal to Amnesty International in Enugu. “My father, Sunday Ifedi, is a furniture maker while my mum, Calista Ifedi, is a teacher. They have three children. I am 21 years. The second one is 19, while the last one is 17. There is also our cousin who was living with us because her father is late. The DSS took my parents. We do not know where they are. I have not even heard from them. The last information I got is that my parents were taken to Abuja. When we got there, the DSS said we could not enter. Since my parents’ abduction, things have been exceedingly difficult for us. I had to drop out of school to engage in menial jobs, so I can take care of the younger ones. I suddenly became both a mother and father. The government should please release my parents,” she said.
Amnesty International Nigeria has launched a public petition demanding the immediate release of the couple and transparency regarding their location, emphasizing the need for justice and accountability. The case has drawn national attention, highlighting concerns over human rights and the treatment of civilians suspected of political affiliations.
Stone Reporters Observed that the abduction of the Ifedi couple underscores a broader pattern of enforced disappearances linked to national security operations in southeastern Nigeria. Cases like this, spanning several years without resolution, exacerbate socio-economic and emotional distress for families, disrupt community cohesion, and fuel distrust between citizens and state security agencies. Amnesty International’s petition reflects increasing civil society efforts to demand accountability, a trend mirrored in other regions of the country where similar disappearances have been reported but remain unresolved. The Ifedi case serves as a stark reminder of the need for transparency, adherence to due process, and urgent reforms in handling politically sensitive investigations to prevent human rights violations.
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