A civil rights group, the International Society for Civil Rights and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has released a detailed report accusing security operatives in Nigeria of widespread human rights violations in the South-East.
The report, titled "Ocean of Innocent Blood Flowing in Eastern Nigeria," was unveiled during a press conference in Enugu. It alleges that over the past nine years, security forces and local vigilante groups have killed more than 32,300 unarmed civilians in the region and extorted a staggering N3 trillion through roadblocks.
Presenting the findings, Emeka Umeagbalasi, the board chairman of Intersociety, stated that security agencies and vigilante groups used allegations of “IPOB/ESN/BIAFRA terrorism” as justification for their actions. He claimed these forces secretly massacred 22,500 civilians and openly killed another 9,800 between August 2015 and December 2024.
The report also highlighted the alleged abduction and unlawful detention of thousands of individuals. Over 6,000 victims were reportedly blindfolded or hooded and transported under the cover of night to detention facilities in northern states such as Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Additionally, the report documented the raiding of more than 300 Igbo communities, with 6,000 civilian homes destroyed, 180,000 people displaced, and over a million others forced to abandon their homes in fear.
The findings further exposed patterns of arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions, uninvestigated accusations, and secret executions. The group accused security forces of employing late-night abductions, torture, and secret interments to silence dissent.
“The scale of abuse cataloged in this report is staggering,” said Umeagbalasi. “It includes torture, enforced disappearances, and mass killings that violate the fundamental rights of unarmed civilians.”
Intersociety also accused security forces of extorting N3 trillion in bribes during the period under review, mostly at roadblocks. “The Nigeria Police Force alone accounted for a significant portion of this corrupt practice,” Umeagbalasi added.
The report further noted the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in the region, estimating that 2.7 million firearms are now in circulation. Of these, 400,000 are allegedly controlled by Fulani jihadists and allied groups.
The group has called for immediate action to address these violations, including the prosecution of perpetrators and compensation for victims’ families. It also urged the Nigerian government to ensure accountability within its security forces and prevent further abuses.
“This is a critical moment for the government to restore trust and uphold the rights of its citizens,” Umeagbalasi concluded.
