Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an urgent and independent investigation into what it described as a “reign of impunity” in the South-East, where nearly two thousand people have been killed amid years of unchecked violence and government neglect.
The rights group made the demand during the launch of its latest report, “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeria,” in Enugu on Tuesday.
It warned that the region’s peace, stability, and development were being eroded by escalating human rights abuses from both state and non-state actors.
According to the report, at least 1,844 people were killed between January 2021 and June 2023 as security forces, armed groups, and vigilante units unleashed violence that have left entire communities traumatised and trapped in fear.
“The failure of the government to address the security crisis in the South-East has created a free-for-all reign of impunity. Many state and non-state actors have committed serious human rights violations, and victims continue to cry out for justice that never comes,” Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria said.
Sanusi said the situation stemmed from the Nigerian authorities’ heavy-handed clampdown on pro-Biafra protests since 2015, which plunged the region into what he described as an “endless cycle of bloodshed.”
“The brutal clampdown on pro-Biafra protests from August 2015 plunged the South-East into a cycle of bloodshed that has created a climate of fear and left many communities vulnerable,” he said, adding that “Assassinations of prominent personalities and attacks on highways, security personnel, and facilities are chilling reminders of the region’s insecurity.”
The report, which draws from interviews with over 100 people, including survivors, victims’ relatives, civil society groups, and traditional and religious leaders, documents widespread killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests across the five South-East states.
Amnesty researchers conducted field missions in Owerri (Imo State), Asaba (Delta State), Obosi (Anambra State), and Enugu (Enugu State) between April and November 2023.
One of the most affected states, Imo, reportedly recorded over 400 killings between January 2019 and December 2021, with gunmen launching unprovoked attacks on police stations, vigilante offices, and residential communities.
“Gunmen often emerge from their camps unmasked to attack residents, police stations, and vigilante offices. These raids have triggered reprisal attacks, resulting in deaths and injuries for thousands of residents,” Sanusi revealed.
In testimonies gathered by Amnesty International, victims recounted harrowing experiences of extortion, arson, and targeted killings.
The report stated, “Victims described how the gunmen appear, routinely demanding money from communities during burial ceremonies and weddings. Anyone who resists risks being attacked during the night, and their house is set on fire.”
A survivor identified as Ebulie, from Ihiala, Anambra State, told Amnesty International that, “The ‘unknown gunmen’ are armed — some with guns, cutlasses, and matches. If they come for an attack, anyone who blocks their way will be killed. It has been a terrible situation, and people are scared.”
Amnesty International also criticised the silence of South-East governors, saying their failure to respond to inquiries about the killings reflected a lack of political will to confront the crisis.
“The silence of South-East governors on the matter shows a disturbing lack of commitment to ending the carnage. Their inaction has left families devastated, lives lost, and the socioeconomic development of the region crippled,” Sanusi lamented.
The organisation urged both federal and state authorities to open credible, transparent investigations into all reported cases of unlawful killings, and to hold perpetrators, whether in uniform or otherwise, accountable.
“The people of the South-East deserve peace, justice, and progress. Only through accountability can the cycle of impunity and violence be broken,” Sanusi said.
Amnesty’s latest report builds on years of documentation of state and non-state abuses in the South-East.
In September, the group had called on the Federal Government to end recurring killings and restore law and order in the region.
However, with hundreds still being killed and many more displaced, the human rights body insists that justice and accountability must come before reconciliation.
“Every day the authorities delay action, more lives are lost. Ending impunity is the first step towards peace in the South-East,” the report added.
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