Amnesty International’s recent report, “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeria,” provides a detailed and disturbing account of the situation in the region from January 2021 to June 2023.
The report documents an alarming increase in violence, with at least 1,844 people killed during that period, resulting from attacks by various armed groups, state-backed paramilitary outfits, vigilantes, criminal gangs, and cults.
The gravity of the crisis reflects a breakdown of law and order, further exacerbated by a persistent failure of Nigerian authorities to respond effectively and uphold human rights standards.
One of the central findings of Amnesty International is the climate of impunity that has allowed both state and non-state actors to commit widespread human rights violations unchecked.
The report highlights rampant unlawful killings, torture, and ill-treatment, as well as enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests.
The activities of “unknown gunmen,” amplified by the rise of cult groups—particularly in towns like Obosi, Awka, and Onitsha in Anambra State—have contributed significantly to the insecurity.
Victims described a pattern of intimidation, extortion, and brutal attacks against anyone who resisted, with entire communities displaced and traditional rulers forced out.
Enforcement of sit-at-home orders by pro-Biafran groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), has compounded human rights abuses.
Amnesty International documents cases of people being beaten or killed for defying these orders. The repercussions have included school closures, disrupted exams, and the shuttering of markets, deeply affecting the rights to education, economic survival, and liberty across the southeast.
State responses have also been implicated in serious abuses, according to the report. The Ebube Agu paramilitary force, established by southeastern governors in April 2021, has been linked with arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture, and extrajudicial executions.
Amnesty’s research, based on interviews with survivors, community leaders, and other stakeholders, paints a portrait of security agencies—military and police—committing similar violations during their operations.
This dual source of insecurity, from both state and non-state actors, has amplified the suffering of local populations and entrenched fear across communities.
The implications for human rights in the southeast are profound. Beyond violations of the rights to life and security, freedom of movement and association have been severely restricted.
Many residents remain unwilling or unable to return to their hometowns due to the threat of violence or abduction; marriage and burial ceremonies have relocated outside the region for safety.
The breakdown of everyday life, as described by Amnesty, demonstrates how insecurity undermines not only physical safety but also cultural practices and community cohesion.
Amnesty International further criticizes the failure of Nigerian authorities to bring perpetrators to justice or provide adequate reparation to victims.
The absence of accountability has fostered a cycle of violence in which human rights crimes persist with little hope for redress.
As stated by Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, this failure not only deepens the humanitarian crisis but also undermines fundamental rights and the rule of law.
In conclusion, the Amnesty International report serves as both a documentation of abuses and a call to action.
The organization demands that the Nigerian government fulfill its constitutional and international obligations by ending the violence, investigating abuses, and ensuring justice for victims.
Amnesty’s findings raise urgent questions about governance, state legitimacy, and the future of human rights in Nigeria’s southeast region.
The report underscores the need for comprehensive reforms and a renewed commitment to protecting vulnerable populations from both state and non-state actors.