Security operatives are reportedly intensifying their search for 44-year-old Gideon Iroegbu Samson, an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) member who fled his ancestral home following repeated military raids on his family residence.
Samson, a native of Umuagbara Village in the Urata Amaise Autonomous Community, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State, went into hiding in late 2025 to escape what his family describes as a targeted campaign of persecution against self-determination agitators.
The crackdown on IPOB members across the South East led by various security agencies including the Nigerian Army and Police has been ongoing since August 2016.
The operations have resulted in numerous reported deaths, detentions without trial, and unexplained disappearances across the region.
According to his brother, Sunday Sampson, the family urged Gideon to flee after surviving multiple attempts on his life.
“Our family advised him to relocate since his life was in deep danger and he may not be lucky to escape during the third attempt by the Army to capture him,” Sunday recalled.
The situation escalated significantly on March 15, 2024, when armed security personnel believed to be from the Nigerian Army stormed the family residence in an attempt to eliminate Samson.
Though he managed to evade capture, several of his siblings sustained injuries during the raid. Facing continuous threats, Samson ultimately escaped his hometown in November 2025 and remains in hiding in undisclosed conditions.
With security operatives actively hunting him, supporters and family members are appealing to human rights groups and relevant international authorities to grant Samson protection and asylum.
Describing him as a peaceful advocate for self-determination, they warn that returning him to his home region would expose him to severe persecution, arbitrary detention, or summary execution.