A Nigerian human rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International to intervene in the alleged incessant killings in the South-East region of Nigeria, particularly in Imo State.
The Chairman of the Board, Emeka Umeagbalasi, made the appeal during a press conference in Enugu. He called on the UN Commissioner for Human Rights to launch joint or separate investigations through the UNHCR’s Special Rapporteurs to hold inquiries into the human rights abuses and violations in Imo State.
Umeagbalasi claimed that mass murders, civilian house burnings, and other illegal acts were being committed with impunity and recklessness in Imo State. He stated that until now, no armed state actor or non-state actor perpetrator had been brought to justice, including public officials or office holders aiding such killings.
The group claims that five of the eight identified non-state actors in Imo State abducted 900 civilians in 29 months and killed 300 of them while in captivity. Those killed, according to the group, were unable to come back to their families or had died from torture, gunshot injuries, or because they refused to be raped, recite Islamic incantations, or convert to Islam.
Umeagbalasi added that the situation has institutionalized impunity and “repeat-offenses” in Imo State and the South-East region.
Intersociety called on international rights organizations, including Amnesty International, to focus their advocacy efforts on Imo and the South-East. They also urged them to use their investigative capabilities to bring attention to the situation and put pressure on those responsible for the violence.
