The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), a prominent human rights organization, has claimed that 32,300 unarmed civilians in South East Nigeria were killed by security operatives between August 2015 and December 2024.
At a press briefing titled “Ocean of Innocent Blood Flowing in Eastern Nigeria,” the group’s Chairman, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, accused the Army, Air Force, Navy, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and paramilitary units of orchestrating these killings under the pretext of targeting IPOB/ESN and Biafra-related activities.
According to the report, 22,500 civilians were allegedly massacred in secret, while 9,800 others were openly killed during the nine-year period. The group further alleged widespread unlawful detentions, torture, and forced relocations to secret facilities in seven northern states, including Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja).
“Thousands of victims were detained 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.
Intersociety also documented the destruction of over 300 Igbo communities, citing 6,000 homes razed, 180,000 people displaced, and over one million forced to flee their homes.
The group estimated economic losses at N450 billion in destroyed properties and claimed N3 trillion was extorted at roadblocks and checkpoints. It further accused security forces of enabling the proliferation of 2.7 million small arms and light weapons, including 400,000 firearms allegedly in the hands of Fulani jihadists occupying 1,000 secret locations in the South East.
The report also highlighted the actions of non-state actors, including criminal vigilantes, “unknown gunmen,” and counterfeit Biafra agitators, who have compounded insecurity in the region. These groups were reportedly responsible for over 14,500 civilian deaths, 65,000 abductions, and N550 billion in ransom payments, with 6,500 captives killed for failing to pay.
Intersociety called for urgent investigations by both domestic and international bodies, emphasizing the need to hold perpetrators accountable and end what it described as “state-sanctioned violence and impunity.”
As of now, the security agencies implicated in the report have not issued an official response.
