Amnesty International Slams Nigerian Government Over Worsening Insecurity in South-East

Amnesty International (AI) has strongly criticised the Nigerian government for its persistent failure to curb escalating insecurity in the South-East region, accusing the authorities of enabling years of human rights violations and unchecked killings.

In its latest report, titled “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeria,” the human rights organisation revealed that at least 1,844 people were killed and hundreds forcibly disappeared between January 2021 and June 2023.

The report described the situation as an “endless cycle of bloodshed” driven by impunity, poor governance, and violent reprisals involving both state and non-state actors.

Amnesty detailed numerous cases of arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by security forces and the Ebube Agu security outfit, a regional paramilitary group established by South-East governors in 2021.

It further attributed hundreds of deaths in Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, and Ebonyi States to attacks by armed groups commonly referred to as “unknown gunmen.” In Imo State alone, over 400 people were killed between 2019 and 2021, with victims including residents, security personnel, and vigilante operatives.

The report also highlighted instances where community members were executed for refusing to pay extortion fees during social events such as weddings and burials.

According to Amnesty, the federal government’s heavy-handed response to pro-Biafra protests since 2015 has worsened tensions, fuelling mistrust and further violence.

While the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have denied involvement in many of the attacks, their enforcement of the controversial sit-at-home orders has contributed to human rights abuses, economic paralysis, and school closures across the region.

> “The Nigerian authorities must stop turning a blind eye to unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and destruction of property in the South-East,”
said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

Sanusi urged the federal government to uphold both its constitutional and international human rights obligations, and to ensure justice and compensation for victims.

Amnesty further reported that parts of Imo and Anambra States have effectively become ungoverned territories, with displaced traditional rulers and deserted villages. It also noted that criminal gangs and cult groups have worsened the security collapse.

The release of the report comes just days after renewed U.S. concern over Nigeria’s internal security. Recently, former U.S. President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of permitting religious persecution, particularly against Christians, and labelled it a “country of particular concern.”

The Nigerian government, however, dismissed Trump’s remarks as misleading and politically motivated.

Amnesty called for an independent and transparent investigation into all alleged abuses and urged the United Nations to strengthen its monitoring of Nigeria’s human rights situation, especially in the volatile South-East.

The organisation concluded that years of impunity and official silence have emboldened both armed groups and corrupt officials, eroding public confidence in government institutions.

> “No one knows the full number of those killed since 2015,” Amnesty noted. “But the fear, displacement, and daily violence across the South-East show how gravely the authorities have failed to protect lives and maintain order.”