Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an independent probe into killings and human rights abuses in the South-East, saying over 1,800 people have died amid unchecked violence.
Amnesty International Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to investigate the rising cases of killings and human rights violations in the South-East, warning that the region is trapped in a “reign of impunity.”
The organisation said at least 1,844 people were killed between January 2021 and June 2023 due to unchecked violence involving state and non-state actors.
Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, made this known during the launch of its report, “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeria,” in Enugu on Tuesday.
“The Nigerian authorities’ brutal clampdown on pro-Biafra protests from August 2015 plunged the South-East region into an endless cycle of bloodshed,” Sanusi said.
He added that the 100-person study documented unlawful killings, torture, disappearances, and arbitrary arrests by gunmen, vigilantes, and security forces.
Amnesty urged authorities to investigate and prosecute perpetrators to end the impunity and provide justice for victims.