Nollywood veteran, Chiwetalu Agu on Thursday was reportedly beaten and arrested by soldiers in Onitsha, Anambra State for wearing an outfit made from the Biafran flag.
In a video that went viral on social media, a man claimed that the actor had stopped at a market in Onitsha to buy bread when he was attacked by soldiers who beat him up for his Biafran outfit.
Another voice from the video was heard saying, “This is Onitsha right now, Upper Iweka right now, Nigerian soldiers arrested Chiwetalu Agu, Nigerian Nollywood actor, the youth are protesting.”
An insider disclosed that the national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, has been notified of the arrest and is currently on the matter.
It was gathered that the actor had been moved from 302 Onitsha Cantonment where he was previously detained to 82 Division in Enugu.
The actor recently shared a photo of himself dressed in the Biafran flag outfit as a sign of solidarity for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has confirmed the actor’s arrest.
Army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, a brigadier general, in a statement on Thursday, said the actor was arrested for soliciting support for proscribed separatist group, IPOB.
The army said the actor was arrested specifically for urging members of the public to join the group which has been proscribed.
Mr Nwachukwu also stated that the army would clamp down on any individual “who continues to promote the group which is tantamount to going against the Nigerian constitution.”
