₦airaland Forum

Film crew ,

The families of three Israeli arrested in southeast Nigeria have called for the release of their children.

In a press statement released by the family on Tuesday, the families of the Israelis, Rudy Rochman, a Zionist activist, filmmaker Noam Leibman and French-Israeli journalist E. David Benaym said they were in Nigeria “as part of a documentary filmmaking effort to explore the lives and customs of Jewish communities around the world”.

The documentary series titled, “We Were Never Lost” (www.wewereneverlost.com) according to the family is designed to educate viewers about the religious and cultural experiences of lesser-known Jewish communities.

“Their goal is to interview members of Jewish communities across multiple African countries, along with Jewish communities in China, India, Afghanistan, and elsewhere,” the family said in the statement.

But on Friday, July 9th, the boys were arrested and detained at a synagogue during night services in Ogidi village by Department of State Security Service, DSS over an alleged connection with the Biafra separatist group, They were then taken to Abuja later.

The filmmakers had been aware of the separatist tension in the region and last Thursday, they wrote in the ‘We Were Never Lost’ Facebook page: We do not take any position on political movements as we are not here as politicians nor as a part of any governmental delegations.”

This claim was also stressed in the Tuesday’s press statement by the families who stated that “the filmmaking crew does not have any political intentions, that their visit is purely for educational filmmaking purposes, and that the filmmakers do not support the actions of any local groups that have tried to assign their own political meaning to the activities of the filmmaking team”.

The families however said images of the presentation of a framed Shiviti made in Jerusalem presented to Igbo leader Eze Chukwuemeka Eri and a “Torah scroll whose cover was designed by British-Israeli street artist Solomon Souza presented to an Igbo community were used by separatist groups to push their selfish agenda and thus distort the intention of the filmmakers as being sympathetic to their separatist agenda.

“These politically-motivated actors have taken a simple gesture of kindness and twisted it in an attempt to create an alternate meaning,” it said.

The family further said they are working with “the U.S., Israell and French Embassies on the matter and have urged “that the team should be released from custody as soon as possible”.

Separatist groups in the southeast region have claimed to be a lost tribe from Israel. And Nnamdi Kanu, the recently extradited leader of a proscribed separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had at different times said that he “believes in Judaism” and considers himself a Jew. Oftentimes, he had led his Biafran people to various Jewish prayers and religious observations.

https://newswirengr.com/2021/07/14/israeli-family-call-for-the-release-of-their-sons-arrested-by-dss-over-ipob-connections/

There is no doubt that the unnecessary online noise made by Ipobians about the arrival of the so called Sefer Torah and its significance to IPOB's cause attracted attention of DSS to the Israeli filmmakers. I know that propaganda and name-dropping are part and parcel of self-determination fight but certain things are much better kept under wraps than shout about it on montaintop. That 'Sefer Torah arrival noise' was much ado about nothing, really.

However, I am using this medium to call on FG to release the filmmakers since they have valid papers.

This is serious.. Well deserved

Plomo:
Error

?

OmaOgbagbala:
This is serious.. Well deserved

You really think they did not know what they were doing

Crap. There are no jews in Nigeria, if Igbos were Jews the Nigerian government won't be fvcking around with them like these. Try same with jews in Ethiopia and see if you won't get a response from the Israeli government.
I support the Biafra cause but this Jewish-Igbo connection is false.
The Israeli government and the jewish people will never abandon any single jew not to talk of millions of jews, it is clearly stated in the constitution of the Jewish state of Israel.

Didn't see IPOB in the statement you shared
The people who read political meaning to their visit was your DSS.

TUANKU:
Crap. There are no jews in Nigeria, if Igbos were Jews the Nigerian government won't be fvcking around with them like these. Try same with jews in Ethiopia and see if you won't get a response from the Israeli government.
I support the Biafra cause but this Jewish-Igbo connection is false.
The Israeli government and the jewish people will never abandon any single jew not to talk of millions of jews, it is clearly stated in the constitution of the Jewish state of Israel.

I agree, and it is so embarrassing

You seems to be more confused than the Kanu himself.... Who told you they see him as one of their own.. Bia.. You better keep quiet [color=#990000][/color]

Rather than blast the tyrant who has abducted your children, you’re attacking people who didn’t even know your children were in the country.

I understand emotions are running high but blaming innocent people will not earn you favor from a man who’s hell bent on oppression.[/quote]

Biafrannuke:
Didn't see IPOB in the statement you shared

Yes bro, no mention.

[quote author=SeeThisLoser post=103715759]You really think they did not know what they were doing

SeeThisLoser:
I agree, and it is so embarrassing

True, very embarrassing. Makes a mockery of the whole struggle.
Biafra agitation is genuine on its own it doesn't need validation of the Jews or anybody. I wish we would just stop with this Jewish connection thing and focus.

Royal55:
Nothing in your post suggests your headline

The families however said images of the presentation of a framed Shiviti made in Jerusalem presented to Igbo leader Eze Chukwuemeka Eri and a “Torah scroll whose cover was designed by British-Israeli street artist Solomon Souza presented to an Igbo community were used by separatist groups to push their selfish agenda and thus distort the intention of the filmmakers as being sympathetic to their separatist agenda

SeeThisLoser:
The families however said images of the presentation of a framed Shiviti made in Jerusalem presented to Igbo leader Eze Chukwuemeka Eri and a “Torah scroll whose cover was designed by British-Israeli street artist Solomon Souza presented to an Igbo community were used by separatist groups to push their selfish agenda and thus distort the intention of the filmmakers as being sympathetic to their separatist agenda

separatists isn't even mentioned in the statement. You're the one who needs to check again.

We understand you guys are desperately looking for people to make you happy by denying Biafra. But you shouldn't look foolish while doing it. If the intelligence leading to their arrest by DSS was correct, it has defeated your aim. If they were wrong, you would have still fallen for a bait for arresting them blindly.

I smell lies.

SeeThisLoser:
The families however said images of the presentation of a framed Shiviti made in Jerusalem presented to Igbo leader Eze Chukwuemeka Eri and a “Torah scroll whose cover was designed by British-Israeli street artist Solomon Souza presented to an Igbo community were used by separatist groups to push their selfish agenda and thus distort the intention of the filmmakers as being sympathetic to their separatist agenda

[i]my dear, read the NEWS RELEASE and also check the headline of the source of the post
you will know that this is just another propaganda by the Op[/i]

Royal55:
[i]my dear, read the NEWS RELEASE and also check the headline of the source of the post
you will know that this is just another propaganda by the Op[/i]

I don’t understand.

Dont believe everything you read their family didn't write this nonsense, DSS did

Sayeret Matkal 13 ,bubu be warned

SeeThisLoser:
Film crew , yeah right - LMAO

Mossad undercover

Zoo media cannot do without lies and propaganda these days nawaa o.

IPOBs attaching themselves to Jews by fire by force and soon it will backfire too.

Beware of DSS propaganda

Ojiofor:
[s]IPOBs attaching themselves to Jews by fire by force and soon it will backfire too.[/s]

At your age, you can't identify propaganda when you come across one..

Lol. Fulani BMCs wish

November1857:
Beware of DSS propaganda

They're so desperate.

The last kick of a dying horse.

People making comments about what they know nothing of .
Some people here think this Jewish thing started yesterday, some thing that ve always been there .
Coming to think of it can't you see how igbos are so different from you .

limeta:
People making comments about what they know nothing of .
Some people here think this Jewish thing started yesterday, some thing that ve always been there .
Coming to think of it can't you see how igbos are so different from you .

Different indeed female jester right?

November1857:
Beware of DSS propaganda

HAVE YOU NOT DEPLOYED PROPAGANDA TOO

DSS IS ONLY FOLLOWING YOUR STEPS

limeta:
People making comments about what they know nothing of .
Some people here think this Jewish thing started yesterday, some thing that ve always been there .
Coming to think of it can't you see how igbos are so different from you .

Of course you are because your degree of confusion is astonishing