1,844 killed in south-east in two years, says Amnesty International

Amnesty International says at least 1,844 people were killed in Nigeria’s south-east region between January 2021 and June 2023.

In its latest report, the organisation said the region has witnessed abductions, mob violence, electoral killings, and frequent attacks by armed groups, with the violence continuing beyond the reporting period.

Amnesty described the security crisis as a hybrid of criminal and political violence, manipulated by state and non-state actors.

The organisation said the tendency to attribute all attacks to IPOB/ESN simplifies a complex reality that also involves armed groups often referred to as “unknown gunmen”.

“Between January 2021 and June 2023, over 1,844 people were killed in the south-east region, while there were cases of abductions, mob violence, and electoral violence. As at the time of writing this report, the killings continued,” the report reads.

“The security situation in south-east Nigeria involves a hybrid of criminal and political violence that different actors can choose to portray and manipulate to suit their interests.

“The multifaceted nature of the actors in the south-east violence makes it easy for state and non-state actors to reduce the actors to a singular narrative: an IPOB/ESN secessionist group.

“There is no clear-cut difference between the activities of the ‘unknown gunmen’ and IPOB/ESN in the south-east, as both have committed violations and abuses of human rights.”

The report said the so-called unknown gunmen are not faceless but are often known within the communities they operate, carrying out random assaults, attacking farmers, and clashing with herders.

The group also documented repeated attacks on security agencies, including police and military personnel, since 2020.

Amnesty added that in Enugu and Ebonyi states alone, herder-farmer clashes also claimed dozens of lives between 2019 and 2023.

In Imo, Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi, armed groups reportedly operate from forest bases, launching raids on security targets and residents.

“In clashes between farmers and herders over grazing lands, the herdsmen have killed an unspecified number of people between 2019–2023 in Enugu and Ebonyi states,” the report said.

“Since 2020, there have been several attacks on security agents by gunmen, leading to the killing of security agents and residents.”

In Anambra state, Amnesty said cult groups have further worsened insecurity, killing hundreds in unchecked clashes tied to a thriving drug trade.

The group also faulted IPOB’s sit-at-home order, describing it as a driver of human rights abuses in the region.

It noted that the order has disrupted education, movement, and access to basic services.

“The enforcement of the sit-at-home order, issued by IPOB in the South-East region on 9 August 2021, has led to human rights abuses by IPOB/ESN across the South-East, including the rights to life, freedom of movement and education,” the report added.

“The police appear unable to tackle the crisis or make arrests in several parts of the region.”

The organisation noted that unchecked violence has deepened fear and eroded trust in state institutions.