By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Prominent Nigerian human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has unveiled two special international reports on rights abuses and violations in Eastern Nigeria, accusing the military and other security forces of culpability.
The two reports titled ‘Nigeria: Ocean of innocent blood flowing in the East’ and ‘Human rights made in Nigeria’, were unveiled during a media briefing organized by Intersociety in Enugu, South-East Nigeria.
Board Chairman, Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, who unfurled the reports, revealed the process leading up to production of the documents, describing it as credible and empirical.
According to him, both are built on documented reports dating back to 2015 or before, noting that compilation and computation started since middle of May 2024 using indepth research, investigation skills and techniques.
Umeagbalasi explained that the book ‘Ocean of innocent blood flowing in the East’, which has 282 pages, is a catalogue of allegedly how unidentified officers and personnel of the armed forces in collaboration with elements in the paramilitary and killer vigilantes, perpetrated heinous acts in the zone.
He further alleged that, for instance, they used “IPOB/ESN/Biafra terrorism as a pretext to secretly massacre 22,500 unarmed civilians and openly killed 9,800 others (totalling over 32,300) in the past nine years and four months (August 2015- December 2024) of military siege and terror in the East.”
The lawyer also alleged that: “Tens of thousands were unlawfully detained and tortured, over 6000 blindfolded or face-bagged and bundled at late night from the East and dumped uninvestigated and untried in secret military locations and prisons in seven northern states of Nigeria, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Zamfara and FCT (Abuja), inclusive of thousands dumped to die or subjected to kangaroo trials inside Wawa Cantonment in Niger state.
“Over 300 Igbo communities were raided, 6000 civilian houses razed, 180,000 displaced, 1 million frightened and forced to abandon their homes and flee. N450 billion defenseless civilian properties lost to military burning and destructions, N3 trillion corruptly seized and illicitly pocketed at roadblocks and other gun points. Estimated 2.7 million small illicit arms and light weapon, their ammunitions aided to be proliferated in the hands of about 20,000 Fulani jihadist and allied, others occupying 1000 secret locations in the East forests, bushes and farmlands.”
He further explained that the book ‘Human rights made in Nigeria’ is a compilation of relevant, available local, regional and international human rights, humanitarian aid universal human rights, rule of law-compliant legal provisions and safeguards regulating the lawful and unlawful conducts and activities of armed citizens in Nigeria or any part thereof.
He noted that the two special international reports are being given out to members of the public and other groups free of cost.
On the way forward for peace to reign, Intersociety gave 76 recommendations to the Federal Government, armed forces and police high command.
The rights lawyer listed some of the recommendations to include:
°Carrying out comprehensive investigations into cases of extra-judicial killings and unlawful execution in Eastern Nigeria in the past nine years and four months, including cases involving torture and other cruel treatment and disappearance of dead bodies of victims of torture;
°Abolishing and prohibition, as a matter of uttermost immediacy, of all military, police and paramilitary roadblocks and custody (barracks) extortions and their racketeering (daily returns) in the South East and South South.
°Prohibition of all forms of commercialization and monetization of arrest, detention, custodial bail and criminal investigation and prosecution.
°Dismantling of all military and police roadblocks or checkpoints on all South-East and South South roads and have them replaced with CCTV cameras manned by ICT- trained police detectives and trackers/monitors and others.”
