An eye-opening international investigative report has exposed the persistent agitation in the South East of Nigeria as a result of mounting injustice and severe brutality by security agencies against residents and commuters. The report, conducted 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, sheds light on the dire situation unfolding in the region.
According to the report, the distressing figures reveal that over 6,500 civilians have lost their lives in the zone since the beginning of 2021, with more than 3,000 homes reduced to ashes due to violence.
The investigation’s focus was to unravel the hidden dynamics behind the escalating violence in Igbo Land, specifically since January 2021. The report underscores that the unsettling combination of anti-Igbo clampdowns by the military and police crack squads, coupled with delayed justice, has played a significant role in exacerbating the ongoing agitations.
Shockingly, the report brings to light the fact that more than 200 Igbo communities are being coerced into radical Islamism through a combination of inducements and violent threats. These methods are being implemented with the aid of Muslim-dominated and controlled security forces operating in Igbo Land.
The findings further reveal a grim economic toll, with the seven Igbo-controlled states losing a staggering N2.1 trillion to both state-affiliated and non-state criminal entities since the start of 2021. The casualties of this unrest are evident, as no fewer than 6,500 unarmed and vulnerable Igbo citizens have been mercilessly killed by security forces and government-linked armed groups, while thousands of homes and personal belongings have been destroyed and looted, predominantly by military personnel and police crack squads.
Perhaps most unsettling is the revelation that Nigeria’s security forces, entrusted with safeguarding citizens, have been compromised. Allegedly, these forces have joined ranks with suspected government-assembled jihadists to inflict terror, violence, and chaos upon defenseless citizens, their properties, and territories across Igbo Land.
The report also accuses Igbo Governors of collaborating with these destructive forces, effectively leaving citizens’ security, safety, and well-being in a perilous state, reminiscent of the traumatic Biafra-Nigeria Civil War Period.
The investigative team further highlights gross financial mismanagement by these governors, who reportedly squander billions of naira each month without tangible results. It is noted that aside from fostering an environment of insecurity, these leaders have failed to deliver good governance built on the principles of human security, economic security, environmental security, food security, health security, community security, personal security, and physical security.
The report delves into the role of subversive state security elements in the violent occurrences in Igbo Land. Allegations suggest that security commissioners and advisers are actively involved in allocating funds and personnel to government-linked private armies and political death squads responsible for the killings and burnings.
Startlingly, the report identifies over 60 Nigerian security forces’ formations in Igbo Land that are implicated in these unlawful killings and burnings.
The investigation further spotlights the harrowing experiences of commuters, who, while using commercial vehicles, are reportedly compelled to disembark at army roadblocks and endure kilometers of treacherous trekking under the threat of torture. Those who find themselves on the road after dark face the ominous risk of abduction and disappearance without a trace.
The comprehensive report is jointly signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chidinma Udegbunam Esquire, and Ositadinma Agu, adding their authoritative voices to the urgent need for attention to this alarming crisis.
As the South East of Nigeria grapples with mounting unrest, the findings of this investigation serve as a poignant call to address the pervasive injustice and brutality that have fueled the region’s agitation. The nation’s security forces and authorities are faced with the responsibility of restoring peace, safety, and justice to the affected communities.
