Author: Gist Correspondent

Amnesty International has alleged that at least 1,844 people were killed in Nigeria's South-East between 2021 and mid-2023, calling on the Federal Government and security agencies to end impunity, unlawful arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings in the region.

The rights organisation made the allegation on Wednesday in Umuahia, Abia State, during the re-launch of two reports titled 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.

Speaking at the event, Amnesty International Nigeria's Finance and Office Manager, Benedicta Ofili, said the organisation documented 1,844 deaths linked to non-state armed groups, state-backed outfits and security operations during the period under review.

She also alleged widespread cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, extortion and deaths in custody, particularly involving the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, popularly known as Tiger Base, in Imo State.

According to Ofili, Amnesty interviewed 23 former detainees, including 14 women, who recounted experiences of torture and harsh detention conditions, while three of those interviewed reportedly died after being detained.

The organisation further said the prolonged insecurity in the South-East has displaced residents, disrupted education, destroyed livelihoods and restricted movement due to the enforcement of sit-at-home orders.

Amnesty called for independent investigations into the alleged abuses, prosecution of those responsible, compensation for victims and stronger accountability by both state and federal authorities.

The event featured emotional testimonies from relatives of persons allegedly arrested by security operatives and whose whereabouts remain unknown, as many appealed for help in locating their loved ones.

Among them, Miriam Onyema alleged that her husband, Kingsley Chinedu, was arrested in Imo State in April 2021 and had not been seen since, while Esther Chinedu said her husband, Pastor Godspower Chinedu, disappeared after his arrest in 2022.

Other families, including those of Chukwuma Nwokike and Chidiebere Ekwe, also alleged that their relatives were arrested and denied access to lawyers before their whereabouts became unknown.

An elderly man, Nicolas Ejekwu, alleged that his two sons were arrested by soldiers, tortured and killed, claiming that dozens of bodies suspected to be victims of similar incidents were deposited at the Federal Medical Centre mortuary in Umuahia.

Responding, the Abia State Attorney General, represented by Chinenye Onyemanonu, said the state government maintains zero tolerance for human rights abuses and investigates complaints through its Citizens' Rights Department.

Human rights activist Samuel Agwu urged authorities to ensure justice for victims and provide legal support to affected families, while calling for an end to what he described as a culture of impunity in the South-East.