Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – A new Amnesty International report has revealed that at least 1,844 people were killed in violent clashes between government forces and separatist groups in South-East Nigeria from August 2015 to June 2023, exposing what it calls “a decade of unchecked brutality and impunity.”
The report, titled “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in South-East Nigeria,” was launched on Tuesday in Enugu, detailing widespread killings, torture, and disappearances allegedly committed by both state security agencies and non-state actors, including the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Amnesty’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said the organisation’s investigation found that the region had become “a war zone of unaccountable violence.”
“The government’s failure to protect civilians and ensure justice has created a free-for-all reign of impunity in which at least 1,844 people have lost their lives,” Sanusi said.
The report traces the crisis to the 2015 government crackdown on pro-Biafra protests, which Amnesty says triggered retaliatory violence by separatist fighters, escalating into years of reprisals and civilian casualties.
It documents attacks on security formations, assassinations of community leaders, and widespread destruction of property by IPOB-linked groups — while also indicting Nigerian security forces for arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial executions in Imo, Anambra, and Abia states.
“Both the state and separatists have turned the South-East into a killing field,” the report noted.
At the press conference, victims recounted chilling experiences.
Nduka Ozor, from Agwa in Imo State, said:
“In 2022, my brother was abducted and killed. Our traditional ruler, Dr. Asor, was also murdered, and our police station burnt down. Heads of victims were displayed in the marketplace.
“Justice must not only be done — it must be seen to be done. Nigeria cannot continue to bury its citizens without accountability,” Sanusi said.
About the Author
Hussaini Ibrahim 
Mirian Gom 
Chukwu Obinna