Amnesty International Alleges Extrajudicial Killings by Nigerian Military in South-East

Amnesty International has  alleged extrajudicial killings by Nigerian Military in South-East.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Amnesty International has claimed it possesses verified evidence including names and addresses of individuals allegedly killed extrajudicially by the Nigerian military in the South-East region.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, the organisation’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said Amnesty remains in contact with victims’ families and is ready to present its findings.

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“We have our evidence and we are very glad to present those evidence. Let us sit down, review those cases, identify who did what and when, and ensure the full weight of the law brings justice for the victims,” Sanusi stated.

Report Documents Over 1,800 Deaths

 

In its latest report titled “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeria”, Amnesty accused the Nigerian police, military, the Ebube Agu regional security outfit, and non-state actors of widespread human rights violations.

The report records 1,844 deaths between January 2021 and June 2023, alongside incidents of torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and other abuses.

Military Denies Allegations

 

Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, rejected the report’s findings, insisting the military does not engage in extrajudicial killings in the South-East or elsewhere. He maintained that ongoing security operations have reduced the activities of criminal groups in the region.

Amnesty Responds to Military’s Rebuttal

 

Sanusi dismissed claims that Amnesty is unfairly targeting the armed forces.

“In the report, we also documented cases where military personnel were killed or their barracks attacked. This is not about targeting the military — we are simply presenting the facts,” he said.

He added that many killings reportedly occurred during raids on communities suspected of harbouring members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). In some cases, victims were allegedly taken from their homes and never seen again.

Investigation and Lack of Military Response

According to Sanusi, Amnesty interviewed 100 people 95 of them face-to-face  in the South-East for the report.

“Before releasing the report, we sent a letter to the military detailing the allegations and requesting their input. We received no response,” he said.

Amnesty stressed it has no bias against the armed forces, noting that its records include victims of violence by the military, police, and Ebube Agu, which it claims has also been used to perpetrate abuses despite being established to curb insecurity.