Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), yesterday, claimed that no fewer than 1,500 people were allegedly killed in the South-east by security forces in 14 months.
In a report titled: “Massacre in Eastern Nigeria: A Special Investigative Report”, the group also claimed 4,800 civilians were arrested between October, 2020 and December, 2021, while 1000 were missing even as 100 communities were invaded and N40 billion worth of property were destroyed.
This is as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has called on the Police Service Commission (PSC) to sanction police officers involved in the invasion and disruption of an Anglican Church service in Imo State in a bid to arrest a former Secretary to the Imo State government, Mr Uche Nwosu.
The petition signed by the Head of Intersociety, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, among others, said the killings represented monthly average of 85 deaths and daily average of three and could be monthly average of 155 and daily average of 5.5 deaths if the presumed dead 1000 missing citizens were added.
The group alleged that “the security forces also abducted and disappeared till date in the same past 14 months at least 1000 unarmed civilians; arrested alive and unarmed and taken into security custodies outside the knowledge of their families or lawyers, from where they have gone missing till
date.
“Soldiers of the Nigerian Army are found to be responsible for at least 70% of the abduction and disappearances while DSS, NPF, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force are separately and jointly responsible for the remaining 30%.”
Intersociety further alleged that, “It is, therefore, likely correct to say that in all, not less 2,400 unarmed civilians lost their lives to Nigerian security forces and the Jihadists in Eastern Nigeria in the past 14 months-covering October 2020 to December 2021.
“This is so on account of the fact that the not less than 1000 missing persons are likely to have been killed in custodies and most unlikely to be returned alive to their families again.”
Meanwhile, in calling for sanctions against the policemen involved in the invasion and disruption of an ongoing church service and the gestapo-style arrest of Mr Uche Nwosu, HURIWA said, “Our single formulated prayer is for the Police Service Commission to identify the police operatives, who did the unthinkable and terrorist act of invading a Church and shooting sporadically right inside a well-populated Church.
“The police officers including the Police commissioner of Imo State who confirmed the invasion which he termed ‘arrest’ of Uche Nwosu must be invited by the PSC to clear their names or be dismissed,” the head of the organisation, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, said at a media briefing in Abuja.
