Over 1,800 People, Including a Monarch, Killed in Nigeria’s South-East in Two Years — Amnesty
Story: written by Daniel November 11,2025
More than 1,800 people, including a traditional ruler, have been killed in Nigeria’s South-East over a period of just over two years, according to a new report by Amnesty International.
The global human rights organisation documented at least 1,844 deaths between January 2021 and June 2023, attributing the violence to unknown gunmen, local militias, and, in some cases, state-backed security forces. The report’s findings, based on victim interviews, police records, and media verification, covered Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states.
Amnesty described the killings as part of “a decade of impunity” in the region.
One particularly shocking incident occurred on 14 November 2022, when gunmen attacked the palace of HRH Eze Ignatius Asor in Obudu Agwa, Imo State. Witnesses reported that approximately 30 armed men arrived in a convoy of Sienna buses, opened fire in the palace courtyard, and executed the monarch along with two visiting chiefs. Over 16 bullets were reportedly fired into the ruler’s body, and no arrests have been made since.
The report traced the origins of the violence to 2019, when armed factions began enforcing sit-at-home orders linked to the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). While IPOB denies civilian killings, splinter groups now operate independently, targeting police stations, markets, and public officials.
Imo State recorded the highest death toll, exceeding 400 between 2019 and 2021, followed by Anambra and Ebonyi. The report also noted over 100 additional fatalities since December 2022, primarily from midnight raids, targeted assassinations, and reprisal attacks.
Amnesty highlighted the calculated and terroristic nature of the attacks, noting that traditional institutions have been destabilized as gunmen loot livestock, burn homes, and extort residents. The report also accused the Ebube Agu security network, established by South-East governors in 2021, of arbitrary arrests, torture, and summary executions. “The lack of accountability emboldens perpetrators,” Amnesty stated. “Communities now live between the terror of gunmen and the fear of those meant to protect them.”
The Defence Headquarters denied the allegations, insisting that military operations are lawful and intelligence-driven. However, local media and civil society groups continue to document reports of extrajudicial killings and property destruction.
Amnesty’s report, A Decade of Impunity, urged the Nigerian government to establish an independent judicial panel to investigate killings, disappearances, and torture cases, warning that “security must not come at the cost of human rights.”
