Key Points

• Amnesty links over 1,800 deaths in southeast Nigeria to separatists and security forces.
• Violence devastates communities and local economies across Imo, Anambra, and Ebonyi states.
• Amnesty urges the government to ensure justice and end human rights abuses.

More than 1,800 people, including a traditional ruler, have been killed in Nigeria’s southeast in just over two years.

Amnesty International linked the violence to armed separatists and government forces accused of human rights abuses and unchecked killings.

Amnesty said 1,844 people died between January 2021 and June 2023 across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states.

The report, titled A Decade of Impunity, drew from police records, witness interviews, and verified media reports.

Traditional Ruler Killed in Palace Attack

A key case in the report is the murder of HRH Eze Ignatius Asor, a traditional ruler in Obudu Agwa, Imo State. On November 14, 2022, about 30 gunmen invaded his palace and shot him and two chiefs.

Witnesses said the attackers fired several rounds before fleeing. No arrests have been made.

Amnesty traced the surge in killings to armed factions enforcing sit-at-home orders tied to the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). IPOB has denied targeting civilians.

But Amnesty said splinter groups now act independently, attacking police stations, markets, and local leaders.

Violence and Economic Decline Deepen

Imo State has recorded the highest number of deaths, with over 400 between 2019 and 2021. Anambra and Ebonyi follow closely.

Amnesty said another 100 people have been killed since December 2022 in fresh raids and reprisal attacks.

The unrest has crippled local trade. Many shops remain closed due to sit-at-home orders. Farmers and traders avoid highways for fear of ambushes. Communities in Oguta, Izombe, and Lilu have seen homes burned and families displaced.

Security Forces Also Blamed

Amnesty also accused security agencies and the regional Ebube Agu task force of human rights violations.

These include torture, unlawful arrests, and extrajudicial killings. The group said residents now live in fear of both gunmen and the security forces meant to protect them.

“The lack of accountability emboldens perpetrators,” Amnesty noted.

The Defence Headquarters rejected the claims. It said the military follows the law and acts on verified intelligence.

Still, civil society groups continue to report cases of abuse during security raids in Imo, Anambra, and Ebonyi states.

Amnesty Demands Justice and Reform

Amnesty urged the federal government to create an independent panel to investigate all killings and disappearances.

It also called for compensation for victims’ families and a review of military operations in civilian areas.

“Security must not come at the cost of human rights,” the report said. “Without justice, peace in the southeast will remain elusive.”

Violence has continued in 2025. In May, gunmen killed 30 travellers and burned 20 vehicles along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo.

Two weeks earlier, kidnappers took 15 villagers in Anambra, while four police officers were shot dead in Ebonyi.

Amnesty warned that without stronger government action, the southeast could slide into a full-blown conflict zone.