Three Israeli filmmakers have been arrested in Nigeria while they were filming a documentary about hidden Jewish communities around the world.

They were arrested on July 9 accused of making contact with anti-government separatists. However a statement released by their families insists their intentions were not politically motivated and they have called for their release. 

Rudy Rochman, a prominent Jewish activist online, was arrested alongside Andrew (Noam) Leibman and Edouard David Benaym.

According to reports, separatists had posted photos of them online along with claims that upset the Nigerian authorities.

The families said they are currently working with the Embassies of the US, France and Israel to deal with the matter.

The joint statement said: “Unfortunately members of non-state political groups have hijacked for their own purposes images of the filmmakers gifting a torah to the local community. 

“These individuals are distorting the intentions of these film makers in a effort to manufacture a connection to local political matters when no such connection exists. These politically motivated actors have taken a simple gesture of Kindness and twisted it to create a alternate meaning. 

This documentary is not intended to make any political statements about the countries in which filming will take place, nor does the filmmaking team endorse any political movements.”

The families explained the men thought it would “be a nice gesture” to bring gifts of cultural significance to the different communities they visited. One of the gifts they planned to give was a Torah scroll. 

The trio visited the Igbo community, and met King Eze Chukwuemeka Eri on July 7 which Mr Rochman posted on his social media accounts.

According to the families images of them giving the Torah to the community had been used by separatists to “manufacture a connection to local political matters when no such connection exists."

As part of their documentary We Were Never Lost the filmmakers were visiting the Igbo community who consider themselves Jewish, and one of the lost tribes of Israel. 

The Igbo, who are not recognized by Israel and not eligible for citizenship via the Law of Return unless they formally convert, are in a state of conflict with Nigeria.

The conflict dates back a unilateral declaration of independence by the Igbo in 1967 and is still ongoing. At the start it ignited a violent 30-month civil war that saw over a million people killed.

In November 2020, Nigerian soldiers reportedly destroyed six Igbo synagogues and this year the conflict broke out again between Nigeria and separatists in the Biafra region home to the Igbo.