Ebonyi: Amasiri Appeals Gov Nwifuru’s 72-Hour Order, Alleges Rights Abuses

The Amasiri Community in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has appealed the 72-hour ultimatum issued by the state government, rejecting allegations of killings and abductions linked to recent violence in neighbouring Edda and accusing security forces of serious human rights violations.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the community described the directive by Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State which reportedly ordered Amasiri to produce severed heads of alleged victims and return persons said to have been abducted, as unjust, unlawful and capable of worsening tensions.

Signed by Princess Joy Omagha Idam, the community’s spokesperson, the statement said Amasiri people neither participated in nor condoned such acts of deadly violence.

Amasiri argued that attributing collective criminal responsibility to the community violates the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees presumption of innocence and prohibits collective punishment.

The community maintained it has, in fact, suffered significant losses in the crisis. Many residents, it added, have been killed or abducted. These, it said, included a retired Army Warrant Officer, Chukwu Charles; his wife, Patricia; and a relative who accompanied them to the farm. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

Amasiri also listed earlier incidents in which it alleged that its indigenes were abducted or killed by people from Edda. Six persons (Sunday Oko Akwa, Oko Akpu Egele, Christian Enya, Agha Oko, Itoro Essien, and Monday Abang) were alleged to have been abducted and killed on January 20, 2025.

On April 2, 2025, two others, Obinna Oko Eze and Emmanuel Okpara, were reportedly abducted and killed. The community further alleged that an electrician, Monday Ogbonnia, was killed on his rice farm in August 2025, while Mr. Ndubuisi Agha Ukpai died in February 2026 from gunshot wounds after soldiers allegedly blocked access to medical care during security operations.

Despite these losses, Amasiri said it is being threatened with sanctions and punitive measures for crimes it knows nothing about, warning that such an approach is unjust, disproportionate, and likely to escalate the situation.

The community also raised concerns about what it described as widespread human rights abuses during ongoing security operations.

It alleged that senior citizens are assaulted daily, while women are flogged, humiliated, and forced to roll on the ground under the sun while being pressured to summon sons who fled in fear.

It described these actions as cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment prohibited under Section 34 of the Constitution and relevant international human rights instruments.

According to the statement, the security clampdown has created a humanitarian crisis. Children are reportedly unable to attend school or sit for key national examinations, including the Common Entrance Examination and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, threatening their educational future.

Questioning what it termed selective justice, the community asked whether Amasiri lives are entitled to equal protection under the law and whether undisclosed land or revenue interests are influencing the handling of the crisis.

It noted that Amasiri is widely regarded as one of the highest revenue-generating communities in the state.

Citing what it described as a clear and present danger to lives and fundamental rights, the community appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, the Minister of Defence and the National Boundaries Commission to intervene. It called for an independent and transparent investigation into the allegations of killings, abductions, and the conduct of security forces in Amasiri.

Reaffirming its commitment to peace and lawful resolution of disputes, the community said it rejects intimidation and collective punishment of innocent civilians and urged both the Nigerian government and the international community to act swiftly to restore calm and ensure justice.