Plea in Delhi HC to protest at UP Bhawan against detention of 2 Nigerian nationals

A plea has been moved in Delhi High Court seeking directions to allow the petitioner association to hold a peaceful protest at Uttar Pradesh Bhawan in the national capital on June 23 against the alleged detention of two Nigerian nationals by UP Police.

Indigenous People of Biafra (India), IPOB, an orgzation working for the care and welfare of the Biafrans all across the world and India, has filed a petition seeking direction to Delhi Police and others to allow the petitioner to hold a peaceful protest under the banner of #BlackLivesMatters at Uttar Pradesh Bhawan on June 23 or any date immediately thereafter.

The matter is listed to come up for hearing before the high court on Thursday.

The plea, filed through advocates Kamlesh Mishra and Kriti Kumari, seeks to hold a protest against the alleged detention of two members of the IPOB namely -- Chima Paul Ugochukwu and Chinasa Victor Obioha -- from Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

It said that the two members have been in detention since September 24, 2019.

The plea said that in their representation for the protest, they have mentioned that they will hold the protest in the utmost peaceful manner and also ensure that the norms of social distancing and other safety measures in view of COVID-19 pandemic are followed.

It also sought directions to the Uttar Pradesh government to produce before this court all documents related to the detention and also to allow their advocates and immediate relatives to meet these persons without any hindrance.

Two Biafran persons, who are of Nigerian nationality were illegally detained/arrested/taken away by the UP Police on September 24, 2019, and thereafter have illegally been kept at Surajpur police lines, 49 battalions, Greater Noida, the plea said.

None of their family members have been notified about their detention and no case has been shown to be registered against them and the advocates who went there to meet them were made to run from pillar to post and meet hierarchies of officers but were not allowed to meet them, it added.

It said that several representations made to the authorities have remained without any positive response and added that it is rather bizarre that in a country like this, two foreigners have been locked into a room in the police lines for more than the past eight months.

( With inputs from ANI )