The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), a prominent human rights organization, has alleged that over 32,300 unarmed civilians in Nigeria’s South East region were killed by security forces between August 2015 and December 2024.
ABAKALIKI — Speaking at a press briefing titled “Ocean of Innocent Blood Flowing in Eastern Nigeria,” the Chairman of Intersociety, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, accused the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Navy, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and various paramilitary units of carrying out these killings under the pretext of combating the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Eastern Security Network (ESN), and other pro-Biafra movements.
Intersociety disclosed that 22,500 civilians were secretly executed, while 9,800 others were openly killed during the nine-year period. The organization further alleged that tens of thousands of civilians were unlawfully detained, tortured, and transferred to secret detention facilities across northern Nigeria, including Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Thousands of victims were arrested at night, blindfolded, or face-bagged and dumped in military facilities or prisons, such as the WAWA Army Cantonment in Niger State, where dozens reportedly died weekly in custody,” Umeagbalasi stated.
The group also detailed widespread destruction in the region, alleging that over 300 Igbo communities were ravaged, with 6,000 homes razed, leaving 180,000 people displaced and over one million others forced to flee.
In terms of economic impact, Intersociety estimated losses at over ₦450 billion in destroyed properties and ₦3 trillion allegedly extorted by security operatives at roadblocks and checkpoints. The group further alleged that security forces facilitated the influx of 2.7 million small arms and light weapons into the region, with 400,000 firearms reportedly in the hands of Fulani militia occupying over 1,000 secret locations in the South East.
The organization also raised concerns over the role of government-linked and non-government-linked armed groups, including criminal vigilantes, “unknown gunmen,” and counterfeit pro-Biafra agitators, in perpetuating violence.
“These groups killed over 14,500 defenseless citizens, abducted 65,000 individuals, and extorted ₦550 billion in ransom payments, with 6,500 abductees killed for failing to pay,” Umeagbalasi claimed.
Intersociety called on both the Nigerian government and international organizations to urgently investigate these allegations and bring perpetrators to justice. The group emphasized the need to end what it described as “state-sanctioned violence and impunity” in the South East.
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