CSO Alleges 1,500 Killed in S’East, 4,800 Arrested, N40bn Property Destroyed by Security Forces

A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), yesterday, claimed that no fewer than 1,500 people were allegedly killed in the South-east by security forces in 14 months.

In a report titled: “Massacre in Eastern Nigeria: A Special Investigative Report”, the group also claimed 4,800 civilians were arrested between October, 2020 and

December, 2021, while 1000 were missing even as 100 communities were invaded and N40 billion worth of property were destroyed.

This is as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has called on the Police Service Commission (PSC) to sanction police officers involved in the invasion and disruption of an Anglican Church service in Imo State in a bid to arrest a former Secretary to the Imo State government, Mr Uche

Nwosu.

The petition signed by the Head of Intersociety, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, among others, said the killings represented monthly average of 85 deaths and daily average of three and could be monthly average of 155 and daily average of 5.5 deaths if the presumed dead 1000 missing citizens were added.

The group alleged that “the security forces also abducted and disappeared till date in the same past 14 months at least 1000 unarmed civilians; arrested alive and unarmed and taken into security custodies outside the knowledge of their families or lawyers, from where they have gone missing till date.

“Soldiers of the Nigerian Army are found to be responsible for at least 70% of the abduction and disappearances while DSS, NPF, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force are separately and jointly responsible for the remaining 30%.”