Amnesty International has condemned the federal government’s continued failure to tackle the escalating insecurity in the South-East, accusing authorities of allowing widespread human rights abuses and killings to persist unchecked.
In a new report titled: “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in South East Nigeria,” Amnesty revealed that at least 1,844 people were killed and hundreds forcibly disappeared between January 2021 and June 2023.
The organization described the situation as an “endless cycle of bloodshed” driven by impunity, weak governance, and violent reprisals from both state and non-state actors.
The report documented numerous cases of arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings carried out by security forces and local paramilitary outfits, notably Ebube Agu, which was established by governors in April 2021.
It also attributed hundreds of killings in Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, and Ebonyi States to armed groups commonly referred to as “unknown gunmen.”
Imo State reportedly witnessed over 400 deaths between 2019 and 2021 as attackers targeted residents, police stations, and vigilante offices. In some communities, victims were executed for refusing to pay extortion fees during social events such as weddings and burials.
Amnesty further criticized the federal government’s heavy-handed response to pro-Biafra protests since 2015, warning that such actions had deepened mistrust and fueled more violence.
The group noted that while the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), deny responsibility for many of the attacks, their enforcement of sit-at-home orders has contributed to further abuses, school closures, and economic paralysis.
“The Nigerian authorities must stop turning a blind eye to unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, and destruction of properties in the South-East,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
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The report described parts of Imo and Anambra States as “ungoverned spaces,” with some traditional rulers displaced and villages deserted.
It also blamed criminal gangs and cult groups for worsening the breakdown of law and order.
Amnesty’s report resurfaced online shortly after renewed U.S. criticism of Nigeria’s handling of internal security.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently accused Nigeria of tolerating religious persecution and targeting Christians, labeling the country a “state of particular concern”—a claim the Nigerian government has dismissed as politically motivated.
Amnesty called for an independent and transparent investigation into all reported abuses and urged the United Nations to intensify its monitoring of Nigeria’s human rights situation, particularly in the conflict-ridden South-East.
“Impunity and official silence have emboldened both armed groups and corrupt officials, eroding public trust in government institutions,” Amnesty stated.
“No one knows exactly how many people have been killed since 2015, but the fear, displacement, and daily violence show how badly the authorities are failing to protect lives and maintain law and order.”
