A report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law in collaboration with the Ekwenche Research Institute, Chicago-Illinois, USA; and the Global Igbo Leaders Coalition, United Kingdom, has revealed that agitation in the South East is being fueled by injustice and brutality of security agencies against residents and commuters.
The report disclosed that over 6,500 civilians have been killed in the zone, and over 3,000 houses burnt since 2021.
The project was aimed at unmasking “who is killing who outside the law in Igbo Land”, particularly since Jan 2021.
“Anti-Igbo deadly clampdowns by the military and the police crack squads and delayed justice have escalated agitations in Igbo Land”, the report said.
According to the report, “no fewer than 200 Igbo communities are being forced into radical Islamism through sundry inducements and threats of violence using the drafted Muslim dominated and controlled security forces and their commanders in Igbo Land.
“This Joint Report has a full page containing selected victims of unlawful killings and burnings outside the law perpetrated by government-linked armed groups in Igbo Land
“The seven Igbo-controlled states of Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Rivers, and Delta have lost a whopping N2.1trillion to armed state and armed non-state criminal entities since Jan 2021
“No fewer than 6,500 unarmed and defenseless Igbo citizens have been killed outside the law by security forces, government-linked armed entities and others. Over 3000 defenseless civilian houses and tens of personal belongings burned down or destroyed and looted mostly perpetrated by the drafted military personnel and police crack squads in Igbo Land since Jan 2021.
“The most shocking of it all is that the country’s security forces, paid to protect the Igbo vulnerable populations and their counterparts across other regions have been compromised into joining forces with the suspected government assembled jihadists to “terrify, terrorize, kill, maim, abduct, disappear, torture, humiliate, loot, plunder, invade, seize, occupy, burn, destroy and Islamize the defenseless citizens, territories, and properties across Igbo Land.
“Igbo Governors are also collaborators and errand boys. Under these Governors too, the citizens’ territorial security, safety, and welfare are comparable to the “Biafra-Nigeria Civil War Period. “
“Apart from heightening and over-blowing insecurity and other unsafe conditions, Igbo Governors have monumentally failed to offer good and accountable governance premised on ‘Human Security’ and its economic security, environmental security, food security, health security, community security, personal security and physical security.
“Subversive state security elements are part of those in the killings and burnings in Igbo Land.
“That Security Commissioners and Security Advisers are distributors of funds and personnel in the killings and burnings perpetrated by government-linked private armies and political death squads in Igbo Land.
“That more than 60 Nigerian security forces’ formations in Igbo land are involved in the killings and burnings outside the law.“
“That Igbo Land passenger using commercial vehicles are forced to disembark at Army Roadblocks and trek for kilometers under torture and other degrading threats in the day time and run a high risk of being abducted and disappeared without traces if stopped at late night”.
The Report was jointly signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chidinma Udegbunam Esquire, and Ositadinma Agu.
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