Revealed: State-by-state breakdown of killings in South-East by InterSociety group

Wed, Feb 2, 2022
By editor
3 MIN READ

Security

By Kennedy Nnamani

THE International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, InterSociety, has given the breakdown of the killings allegedly perpetrated in the eastern part of the country by security forces. The breakdown, which is contained in the summary of the report released by the group in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, on the 19th of January 2022, showed that Imo state has the highest number of those traceably killed by security forces, especially soldiers of the Nigerian Army and personnel of the Nigeria Police “special squads”. The State accounted for at least 300 deaths from the 1,150 deaths.

It is followed by Rivers State with 200 deaths, including 150 deaths arising October-November 2020 Obigbo Army attacks. The report also showed that the Nigeria Police IRT Headquarters or ‘Abattoir’ at Abuja was responsible for not less than 150 custodial deaths (mainly citizens arrested from Imo state).

Abia State followed with not less than 130 deaths. Anambra and Ebonyi accounted for 100 deaths each, while Akwa Ibom recorded at least 60 deaths. The Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigations Department, FCID, and its ‘Special Tactical Squad’ and ‘Counter Terrorism Unit’ at Abuja also accounted for at least 50 extra-judicial or custodial killings. Delta and Cross River recorded the remaining minimum of 60 deaths; totaling 1,150 ‘defenseless’ citizens’ deaths in 14 months.

The report also reads, “The not less than 270 Igbo-Christian deaths arising from attacks by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in Igbo Nation territory in 2021 majorly took place in ancestral Igbo parts of Benue and Kogi where no fewer than 90 deaths occurred; followed by Ebonyi and Enugu with at least 80 deaths; Igbo Delta/Edo with no fewer than 50 deaths. The rest are Anambra with at least 30 deaths and Imo and Abia with at least 30 deaths, totaling 270 Igbo-Christian deaths.”

Therefore, from this revealed evidence, 60% of the 1,150 deaths occurred in Army and Police custodies allegedly manned by soldiers of the Nigerian Army and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

“In other words, not less than 60% of those killed were arrested or abducted alive and unarmed, falsely labeled and killed in custody in batches. The remaining 40% of the deaths, which came from open killings was found to have been mainly perpetrated by soldiers of the Nigerian Army, who were also responsible for disappearance of 70% of the 1000 missing persons in the past 14 months or between late October 2020 and December 2021. Soldiers specifically accounted for 80% of the entire open killings and 70% of the abductions and disappearances. It must be stated that the 1000 missing persons did not include the 1,150 persons shot and killed by soldiers and various police squads”, according to the report.

InterSociety is Nigeria’s leading human rights, rule of law, citizens, public security and safety, democracy and good governance advocacy group since 2008. It is also a knowledge based organization, led by graduates and post graduates in the celebrated fields of law, criminology, security studies, peace studies and conflict resolution, media and journalism, etc.

The group is globally rated and respected for its forensic facts findings using knowledge of local and international law and criminology, research, investigation and documentation and several years of field experience. With respect to the subject matter under campaign, the group claims it had meticulously followed and is still following the patterns and trends of the operations of the Nigerian security forces in Eastern Nigeria in the past fourteen months (October2020-December 2021).

KN

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