Report: Security Operatives Killed 32,000 Civilians, Extorted N3trn in South-east in  9 Years

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka and Gideon Arinze in Enugu

A foremost civil rights group, International Society for Civil Rights and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has alleged that security forces and local vigilance groups killed over 32,300 unarmed civilians across the South-east within the past nine years.

The group, while presenting a special report, also claimed that security forces extorted about N3trillion at road blocks within the same period of time.

The report titled: “Ocean Of Innocent Blood Flowing in Eastern Nigeria was unveiled in Enugu yesterday, during a world press conference.

While presenting the findings of the report, board chairman of the group, Emeka Umeagbalasi, alleged that security agencies and killer-vigilance groups “used ‘IPOB/ESN/BIAFRA terrorism’ as a pretext to secretly massacre 22,500 unarmed civilians and openly killed 9,800 others (totaling over 32,300) in the past nine years and four months (August 2015-Dec 2024).”

 The group further alleged that thousands were unlawfully detained and tortured, whereas over 6,000 were blindfolded or face-bagged and bundled at late night from the East and dumped uninvestigated in seven Northern States of Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara and FCT (Abuja).

It said that over 300 Igbo communities were raided within the same period, and 6,000 civilian houses razed, 180,000 displaced, one million frightened and forced to abandon their homes and flee.

The group said: “The report further catalogued and exposed massive arbitrary arrests, perpetual detentions arising from uninvestigated and un-triable phantom allegations, kangaroo arraignments, late night abduction and face-bagging of unarmed Igbo civilians to secret military detention facilities in northern Nigeria, torture and bodily lacerations, open killings and secret executions, enforced disappearances, dead body persons’ disappearances and criminal interments.”

Speaking on the allegation of collecting N3trillion in bribe within the period, Umeagbalasi said: “The report also notes that N3trillion was corruptly seized and pocketed by security forces at roadblocks and gunpoints, with the Nigeria Police Force taking in the highest amount.

“Additionally, an estimated 2.7 million illicit small arms and light weapons have been proliferated in the region, including 400,000 in the hands of Fulani jihadists and allied groups.”

In its recommendation, the group called for urgent action to address these human rights abuses, including prosecution and compensation for victims’ families.

The report’s author has also urged the Nigerian government to prevent further abuses and ensure accountability within the security forces.