Intersociety raises alarm over alleged killings in South East

 

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has alleged that the military and police in the South East geo-political zone have killed no fewer than 700 civilians.

The group made this declaration via a statement sent to journalists on Saturday.

It also alleged that about 1,100 people had been arrested in the region.

It noted that the killings were carried out between January and December 2022.

The group made these declarations in a statement signed by the trio of Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman; Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law; and Chidinma Udegbunam, Head, Campaign and Publicity Department.

They added that 220 people in the region have disappeared without traces after operations by soldiers and police crack squads.

They added that among the 220 victims of disappearance, between 50 and 60 are likely to have been killed in military and policing captivity.

They also alleged that soldiers of the Nigerian military also had, in the last 12 months, destroyed no fewer than 600 civilian homes worth billions of naira.

They explained further that about 18,000 people were sacked from their ancestral homes during the period under review, laemnting that the military never arrested those terrorising the region.

The statement read, “The deployed military and police in the East had between January and December 2022 crudely, barbarously and atrociously killed 700 civilians and arrested 1100.

“Out of the 1100 civilian arrests, not less than 220 or 20% were abducted and disappeared without traces by soldiers and policing crack squads. The named security agencies perpetrated the above outside the law and modern operational ethics and codes.

“Those arrested by soldiers were also found to have run the high risk of never coming back alive for eternity. Among the 220 victims of disappearance, between 50 and 60 are likely to have been killed in military and policing captivity.

“Soldiers of the Nigerian military had also, in 12 months of 2022, burned down or destroyed no fewer than 600 defenceless civilian homes worth billions of naira and sacked over 18,000 from their ancestral homes.

“The Nigerian military, particularly the Army had never arrested or shot and killed a single Jihadist Fulani Herdsman in the Region in 2022, if not since 2016”.