Amnesty International Urges Action on Killings in South-east

Amnesty International Nigeria has urged governors in the South-east, the Federal Ministry of Justice, and security agencies to quickly investigate reported human rights abuses and unlawful killings in the area.

Amnesty made this call on Thursday in Umuahia, Abia State, during a town hall meeting focused on human rights violations and accountability in the South-east, according to Punch.

The group also asked lawyers, activists, community leaders, security officials, and others to support its campaign against unlawful killings and the culture of impunity in the region.

At the event, Amnesty presented two reports: “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in South-east Nigeria” and “Tiger Base of Atrocities: Human Rights Violations by Nigeria Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Owerri.”

Benedicta Ofili from Amnesty International Nigeria spoke at the event. She said the gathering aimed to confront what she called “a bitter reality” filled with loss of lives, silence, and a long fight for justice in the region.

“We gather here in Abia State to confront a bitter reality. Following previous launches in Lagos and Enugu, we bring this vital conversation directly to Abia,” she stated.

Ms Ofili said the first report showed that at least 1,844 people died between 2021 and mid-2023 across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states.

These deaths occurred amid what Amnesty described as “a brutal crossfire involving non-state armed groups, state-backed outfits, and heavy-handed security operations.”

The organization also reported alleged indiscriminate raids, enforced disappearances, and unlawful killings. They said many of these incidents had not been followed by independent investigations or prosecutions.

“The cycle of impunity continues without thorough, independent investigations or prosecutions,” Ms Ofili explained.

She added that insecurity had displaced farming communities, disrupted education, and created what the organization called “ungoverned spaces,” with enforced sit-at-home orders further affecting residents.

In the second report, Amnesty researcher Maurice Chukwu detailed alleged abuses by the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, known as Tiger Base.

Mr Chukwu claimed the unit was involved in arbitrary detention, extortion, physical torture, deaths in custody, and enforced disappearances. He said there were cases where children were separated from detained mothers without any records.

“These actions directly violate the Nigerian Constitution, the Anti-Torture Act of 2017, and international human rights frameworks,” he said.

He called for investigations into all documented allegations, fair trials for suspects, and reparations for survivors and families of victims.

“This re-launch in Abia State is not merely a presentation of statistics; it is a call for accountability,” he stated.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Abia State, Ikechukwu Uwanna, said the state government does not tolerate human rights violations.

Mr Uwanna, represented by Chinonyere Onyemenaonu, the Director of the Citizens’ Rights Department, explained that the Ministry of Justice cannot direct police operations. However, the government has ways to handle complaints about rights violations.

He noted that the Citizens’ Rights Department gets complaints, interviews victims, and makes recommendations to the Attorney General for appropriate action.

“When matters get to us, whether on human rights violations, what do we do? We engage the aggrieved victims. We call on them, we interview them, we hear them out, and then we make our recommendations to the attorney general for appropriate action,” he said.

During the event, family members of those allegedly arrested or abducted by security operatives shared their stories.

Miriam Onyema said her husband, Kingsley Chinedu, was arrested on 25 April 2021, at Hospital Junction, Imo State, and had not been found despite her efforts to locate him.

Esther Chinedu shared that her husband, Godspower Chinedu, a pastor, was arrested in 2022, and they have not seen him since. They tried visiting different police detention facilities.

Caroline Chukwuma claimed that her husband, Chukwuma Nwokike, was taken in 2021 at St. Paul Junction, Aba, and later moved to Abuja after she and her lawyers were denied access to him.

Chinwendu Chidiebere said her husband, Chidiebere Ekwe, was arrested at his workshop in Aba on 22 June 2021 and taken to CPS Aba, where the family was not allowed to see him.

An elderly man, Nicolas Ejekwu, tearfully recounted how soldiers allegedly arrested his two sons, Obinna and Onyebuchi, at his home. He claimed he later heard they were tortured and killed, with their bodies taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

Cecilia Nmaoche said her son, Christian Ifeanyi, was abducted by security operatives in 2022 and has not been seen or heard from since.

The relatives pleaded with Amnesty International and government officials to help find their loved ones and ensure that anyone accused of a crime is either released or taken to a proper court.

In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Amnesty International Nigeria noted that the killings and violence came after Nigerian authorities began a “brutal clampdown” on pro-Biafra protests in August 2015.

The organization stated that this clampdown led to “an endless cycle of bloodshed,” creating fear and leaving many communities vulnerable.

“Assassinations of prominent personalities and attacks on highways, security personnel, and facilities are chilling reminders of the horror faced by the people of the region,” it added.

For years, the South-east has seen violence and killings linked to the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other pro-Biafra groups.

But IPOB, which seeks the separation of the South-east and South-south from Nigeria, has repeatedly denied any link to the violence and killings in the area.

Security operatives and government officials are often the targets of gunmen terrorizing the region.