James Uche
Amnesty International has revealed that more than 1,800 people have been killed across Nigeria’s South-East within a little over two years, blaming the escalating violence on both armed separatist groups and state-backed security forces. The human rights organisation described the region as trapped in a “decade of impunity” that has allowed killings, abductions and reprisals to flourish unchecked.
According to the data released by Amnesty, at least 1,844 people were killed between January 2021 and June 2023 in attacks attributed to unknown gunmen, local militias and government security operatives across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. The figures were compiled from eyewitness accounts, police records and verified media reports.
One of the most shocking incidents highlighted was the killing of a traditional ruler, HRH Eze Ignatius Asor, in Obudu Agwa, Imo State, on 14 November 2022. Witnesses reported that around 30 heavily armed men arrived in a convoy of Sienna buses, stormed the palace and executed the monarch and two visiting chiefs. More than 16 bullets were allegedly pumped into the ruler’s body before the gunmen fled. No arrests have been made since the incident.
Amnesty traces the roots of the violence to 2019, when armed groups began enforcing sit-at-home orders linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed separatist movement. While IPOB continues to deny involvement in killings, Amnesty notes that splinter cells now operate independently, targeting police stations, public officials and marketplaces. In Imo State alone, more than 400 deaths were recorded between 2019 and 2021 — a number locals insist is far below the real figure.
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The report shows that since December 2022, over 100 more people have been killed in midnight raids, assassinations and reprisal attacks. Communities such as Oguta and Izombe in Imo, as well as Lilu in Anambra, have experienced mass displacement as gunmen impose levies, burn homes and loot property. Traditional rulers, usually vital in mediating disputes, have increasingly become targets.
Amnesty also raised serious concerns about human rights violations by security forces, including the Ebube Agu security network set up by South-East governors in 2021. The group stands accused of arbitrary arrests, torture and summary executions. Amnesty says this dual assault — by non-state actors on one side and by security operatives on the other — has left residents living in fear of both the gunmen and those mandated to protect them.
According to the organisation, families seeking justice are often intimidated while investigations remain stalled or inconclusive. “The lack of accountability emboldens perpetrators,” Amnesty said, noting that the region now lives under constant fear and uncertainty.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has dismissed Amnesty’s claims, insisting the armed forces operate within legal boundaries and conduct intelligence-led operations aimed at restoring order. But civil society organisations and local journalists continue to document allegations of extrajudicial killings and property destruction during raids in Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi states.
The violence has deeply eroded the region’s economy. Weekly sit-at-home orders have crippled small businesses, while farmers and transporters avoid major routes for fear of ambushes. In May 2025, at least 30 travellers were killed along the Okigwe–Owerri highway when gunmen attacked vehicles and set more than 20 ablaze. Weeks earlier, 15 villagers were kidnapped in Anambra and four policemen fatally ambushed in Ebonyi.
In its 2025 report titled A Decade of Impunity, Amnesty urged the federal government to establish an independent judicial panel to investigate killings, disappearances and torture in the South-East. The group also called for compensation for victims’ families, an end to the militarisation of civilian spaces and stricter oversight of regional security outfits.
“Security must not come at the cost of human rights,” the report warned. “Without justice, peace in the South-East will remain elusive.”