In response to the spiralling violence in Southeast Nigeria, security forces have committed a slew of human rights violations and crimes under international law, waging a repressive campaign that has included sweeping mass arrests, excessive and unlawful force, torture, and other ill-treatment since January.
The armed group known as the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a pro-Biafra organisation, has been largely blamed for the killings and violence in Nigeria.
From January 2021, Amnesty International conducted an intensive investigation to document human rights breaches and crimes under international law in the states of Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, and Abia. The organization found 52 examples of wrongful executions and 62 cases of arbitrary detention, mistreatment, and torture. According to media reports, video and audio recordings reviewed, Nigerian security agents used disproportionate force and other illegal methods to combat the increasing unrest.
Between March and June 2021, Amnesty International reported at least 115 people slain by security personnel. Many of the victims’ relatives told Amnesty International that they were not among the extremists who attacked security officers. Many of the victims were taken to government hospitals in the states of Imo and Abia.
From January through June, the ESN killed dozens of security personnel and attacked at least ten public institutions, including prisons and police stations, according to government sources. As a result of the attacks, security forces including the military, police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) have killed scores of gunmen as well as civilians.
Nigerian security forces began security operations in June with the goal of decimating ESN members or individuals suspected of being militants.
The Imo state administration reported the arrest of at least 400 people suspected of being involved in the violence in May 2021. According to Amnesty International’s study, the majority of them were picked up at random in their homes or on the street and had nothing to do with ESN.
Washington Center For Human Rights calls on the Nigerian government to open an an unbiased investigation into what occurred, as well as the prosecution of all individuals accused of criminal involvement. We also call on all parties involved to respect human rights laws and to stop violations against civilians.