470 killed, 3,250 abducted in Eastern Nigeria by security agents in 220 days — Intersociety reveals

Nigerian human-rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety (Intersociety) has claimed that no fewer than 470 persons were killed, 820 disappeared and 3,250 were abducted in Eastern Nigeria by security forces between the period of January 10 to August, 2021.

The rights group in its latest report alleged that the Nigeria Police Force and soldiers of the Nigerian Army and their Muslim dominated superior and field commanders posted or deployed to Eastern Nigerian States of Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Delta have killed or supervised the mass killing of not less than 470 untried and uninvestigated citizens of Eastern Nigeria in the past 220 days.

Intersociety while linking Police CP, Abutu Yaro and embattled DCP Abba Kyari to the killings, described them as “false accusers and executioners-in-chief”, alleging that they were responsible for death of 240 in 220 days.

The group which alleged the Police heads of ‘hating’ the Igbo tribe and her citizens, said “ The CP is so hateful of the Igbo tribe and her citizens that every arrest made in Imo must be linked to ‘IPOB/ESN’. Even in simple offenses of affray or traffic or intra or inter personal quarrelling, land grabbing or criminal trespass, they are magnified and over-bloated to suit being labeled “IPOB/ESN terrorism” case.

The CP is also widely seen as the most lying CP in present Eastern Nigeria and has earned himself the infamous title of “False Accuser-in-Chief” .His reckless and indiscriminate false labeling and stigmatization of defenseless citizens, without proper investigations have also gravely led to killing of not less than 160 uninvestigated and untried citizens in Imo State in the past 220 days and also aided the killing by Abba Kyari’s IRT at Abuja’s FSARS’s Abattoir of at least 80 Igbo citizens mainly picked up and falsely labeled in Imo State. The Imo CP, therefore, shares with DCP Alhaji Abba Kyari and Brig Gen Raymond Utsasa, Commander of 34 Brigade, the title of “Executioners-in-Chief” for killing 240 Igbo citizens outside the law and modern policing and soldiering norms.

Intersociety in its report claimed that embattled Police DCP, Abba Kyari and his IRT massacred 80 Igbo detainees at FSARS Abattoir in Abuja.

“Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law is shocked to disclose the recent secret killing of at least 80 uninvestigated and untried Igbo citizens abducted by the trio of the CP Abutu Yaro, CP, Imo State, the Imo Governor, Hope Uzodimma and the suspended DCP Abba Alhaji Kyari, DCP in charge of IGP Usman Alkali Baba’s “Intelligence Response Team.”

The secret killings had taken place at odd hours at the former FSARS Headquarters, Abattoir, Abuja, which now houses DCP Abba Kyari’s “Intelligence Response Team” and DCP Kolo Yusuf’s “Special Tactical Squad” and “Tactical Intelligence Unit”. The three NPF murderous squads are operationally under the NPF’s Directorate of Force Intelligence Bureau headed by DIG Tijani Baba. The recent custodial killing of detained Igbo citizens was disclosed to Intersociety by an activist legal practitioner who is very conversant with the matter and has been following same. The not less than 80 slain Igbo Judeo-Christian detainees were part of hundreds abducted mainly in Imo State under the direct supervision and false labeling and stigmatization of the Imo CP, Abutu Yaro and handed over to DCP Abba Kyari Team for “further interrogation and investigation in Abuja.”

At abduction, their mobile phones were seized leading to electronic disappearance of the victims’ bank deposits and tracking down of their friends, business associates, in-laws and relatives, numbering dozens who were tricked, trapped, tracked and abducted. As if that was not enough, the ’57 of them were forced out of their cells at a single night and massacred around June and early July 2021’. Most of the slain 57 citizens were abducted between March, April and May 2021 and among them was Citizen Cletus Ebole, abducted along with his wife, Ifeyinwa Ebole on 28th March 2021 in Imo State and labeled by CP Abutu Yaro as “a native doctor preparing charms for IPOB/ESN.”

The wife of the slain is still held incommunicado by another section of the IRT and presently nursing bullet leg injuries. Dozens of others were also shot and killed in the Abattoir’s captivity, bringing the total killed to not less than 80. The slain victims were abducted and held incommunicado for not less than four months without trial or access to their families, physicians and lawyers leading to their custodial killings and permanent disappearance of their bodies till date. Information about their secret killings leaked few days ago after 15 of the remaining survivors in that section was arraigned at an “Abuja Area Court” on 2nd August 2021 and “remanded indefinitely” at Keffi Prisons in Nasarawa State.”

Intersociety revealed the profiles of Senior Police Officers involved in mass killings in Eastern Nigeria as follows: (a) CP Abutu Yaro, CP, Imo State: Born on 10th Oct 1964 in Dekina, Kogi State and enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on 15th March 1988 with Enlistment No AP30455, promoted to CP on 21st Dec 2019 and retires on 15th March 2023. He holds Bachelor’s Degree in Pub Admin. (b)CP Janet Agbede, CP Abia State: Born on 2nd Jan 1963 in Akoko North, Ondo State and enlisted into the NPF on 15th March 1988 with Enlistment No AP30557 and promoted to CP on 21st Dec 2019, retires on 2nd Jan 2023. She holds B.Ed. in English Language. (c) CP Aliyu Garba, CP, Ebonyi State: Born on 21st June 1963 in Kontangora, Niger State, enlisted into the NPF on 3rd March 1990 with Enlistment No AP36647, promoted to CP in 2021, retires on 20th June 2023. He holds Bachelor’s Degree in History. (d)CP Ndatsu Aliyu Mohammed, immediate past CP, Enugu State:

Born on 18th Sept 1962 in Kwali, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and enlisted into the NPF on 3rd March 1990 with Enlistment No AP36750, promoted to CP on 16th Jan 2019, retires on 18th Sept 2022. He holds Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. (e) DCP Kolo Yusuf, DC STS/TIU: Born on 7th Feb 1968 in Edati, Niger State, joined NPF on 1st May 1988 with Enlistment No.AP42108, promoted to DC on 1st May 2018, retires on 1st May 2023. He holds LLB, BL in Law. (e) DCP Alhaji Abba Kyari, DC IRT: Born on 17th March 1975 in Gujba, Yobe State and enlisted into NPF on 1st May 2000 with Enlistment No AP57296, promoted DCP on 4th April 2018, retires on 17th March 2035. He holds Bachelor’s Degree in Geography. (f) Col Abubakar Abdullahi, Deputy Army Public Relations Officer, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu.

Further findings revealed that: “The 470 fatalities or victims of the security forces massacre in Eastern Nigeria since January 2021 did not include 110 deaths arising from the Obigbo massacre of Oct/Nov 2020 and if included, it would be correct to say that not less than 580 civilians were killed by security forces especially by soldiers of the Nigerian Army in Eastern Nigeria between 21st October 2020 and 10th August 2021, a period of nine months and twenty days. Among the latest causalities of the Obigbo Army massacre are five of the 110 residents of the area secretly abducted by soldiers and held in perpetual captivity at the Army’s Alpha Military Commando Base in Suleja, Niger State and their names are: Citizens Thomas Ekwueme, Pius Onochie, Obinna Akapuru, Monday Ifeanyi and Tobechukwu Udoka. Citizen Tobechukwu Udoka died in the morning of on 30th July 2021 at the Mogadishu (Abacha) Army Barracks in Abuja where he was rushed to after vomiting blood.

The breakdown of the total of 580 deaths in Eastern Nigeria since Oct/Nov 2020 showed that Imo took the lead with at least 160 deaths, Rivers at least 150 deaths including 110 dead victims of the Obigbo Army massacre, Abia at least 90 deaths, DCP Alhaji Abba Kyari led IRT at least 80 Abattoir captivity deaths; totaling 480 deaths. The remainder, numbering over 100 deaths is spread across Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River and Enugu states. It must also be remembered that over 90% of the killings by the security forces are defenseless and unarmed citizens, randomly accused, falsely labeled and stigmatized on account of their Igbo tribe and Judeo-Christian faith or religion. Over 60% of the ESN operatives killed which constitutes less than 10% of the total killings, are also found to have been killed outside the law, having been arrested unarmed and killed instantly or killed while in detention or captivity.

CP Abutu Yaro And DCP Abba Kyari Named The False Accusers & Executioners-in-Chief:

The present Commissioner of Police Imo State, CP Abutu Yaro has been closely monitored by powerful rights groups for months and found to be “ESN/IPOB Phobia CP” as over 90% of information accompanying his indiscriminate arrest and parading of dozens of unarmed and defenseless Igbo citizens including Christian and Traditional religious leaders and their centers and symbols of worship contained lies of unpardonable, shocking and provoking proportions. The CP is so hateful of the Igbo tribe and her citizens that every arrest made in Imo must be linked to ‘IPOB/ESN’. Even in simple offenses of affray or traffic or intra or inter personal quarrelling, land grabbing or criminal trespass, they are magnified and over-bloated to suit being labeled “IPOB/ESN terrorism” case.

The CP is also widely seen as the most lying CP in present Eastern Nigeria and has earned himself the infamous title of “False Accuser-in-Chief” .His reckless and indiscriminate false labeling and stigmatization of defenseless citizens, without proper investigations have also gravely led to killing of not less than 160 uninvestigated and untried citizens in Imo State in the past 220 days and also aided the killing by Abba Kyari’s IRT at Abuja’s FSARS’s Abattoir of at least 80 Igbo citizens mainly picked up and falsely labeled in Imo State. The Imo CP, therefore, shares with DCP Alhaji Abba Kyari and Brig Gen Raymond Utsasa, Commander of 34 Brigade, the title of “Executioners-in-Chief” for killing 240 Igbo citizens outside the law and modern policing and soldiering norms.”

“Intersociety was also reliably informed that seven of the 24 survivors left in that section of the IRT had earlier left after each of them was forced to part with N1m or N1.1m, remaining seventeen of them who could not afford, out of who fifteen were “arraigned” before an Abuja Area Court with six freed and nine remaining. The nine remanded survivors are: Citizens Anthony Mba, Vincent Kalu, Iloejebechukwu Ikeji, Ezike Chukwuebuka Victor, Bede Obizue, Uchenna Ugwu, Okeke Boniface, Enemuo Vitus and Okechukwu Oguguo. The two others remaining at that section of IRT are Pastor Ebele Lemoha and Uche Ekwuoha. Among dozens of others still held incommunicado at different sections of Abuja’s former FSARS, now IRT are four married women including Mrs. Maria Ezedialu, abducted in Owerri since Feb 2021 from where she was transferred to IRT, Abuja, Mrs. Ngozi Umeadi, a nursing mother arrested at a hospital in Onitsha since Feb 2021 where she was receiving a post child delivery treatment, Mrs. Ngozi Dave, abducted in Lagos whose legs and hands have been irreparably battered by leg chains and handcuffs; and Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ebole, whose husband, Cletus Ebole, was among the 57 secretly executed in the IRT captivity.

3,250 Judeo-Christian Igbo Citizens Unlawfully Arrested Or Abducted Since Jan 2021:

No fewer than 3,250 mostly Igbo citizens have been unlawfully arrested or abducted by Nigerian security forces since January 2021 and if counted from Oct/Nov 2020 with addition of 550 abducted victims of the Obigbo Army massacre, then it will be correct to say that a total of 3,800 uninvestigated and untried Igbo citizens were unlawfully arrested or abducted between 21^st Oct 2020 and 10^th August 2021, a period of nine months and twenty days. The not less than 3,800 unlawfully arrestees or abductees included many of the 580 killed and all the 820 disappeared citizens; out of which 2,400 were taken into custody alive and released or still detained alive. Also out of the 1,400 others, the whereabouts of 820 are unknown or presumed dead in custody while 580 others are traceably found to have to been killed. The breakdown of the 3,250-3800 abductees further showed that Imo and Rivers States recorded the highest number with 900 abductions each, followed by Abia State 470, Ebonyi State 400, Anambra 300 State, IRT-Abuja 150, Delta, Enugu and Cross River 150 each and Akwa Ibom 100; totaling 3,800 abductions including 550 abductions arising from the Obigbo Army massacre and abductions. The abductions in Eastern Nigeria also recorded 690 additions in 58 days from 2,560 recorded as at 17^th June 2021, excluding 550 recorded during the Obigbo Army massacre and abductions.

Nigerian Soldiers Cleared Grounds For Jihadist Herdsmen Killing Of 250 Igbo Christians In 220 Days:

Despite our strong warning on 25th March 2021 that “Nigerian Army and other security forces are turning into ethnic militias for radical Muslims” especially the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, soldiers of the Nigerian Army are now responsible for clearing grounds for Jihadist Herdsmen attacks and killings in Igbo Land. For the first time in the history of Igbo Nation and her territory, not less than 250 native Igbo Christians have been hacked to death by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen since January 2021. Between Jan and April, not less than 120 Igbo Christians were hacked to death and from 1st June to 18th July, no fewer than 80 more Igbo Christians were killed and in the past 23 days or between 19th July and 10th August 2021, 50 additional Igbo Christians have been killed. Soldiers of the Nigerian Army have severally and openly been accused of aiding anti Christian butcheries by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in places such as Miango (Irigwe) and Kauru/Zango-Kataf areas of Plateau and Southern Kaduna States. In Eastern Nigeria, same strong accusations have rented the air. This is to the extent that where communities mobilize their youths to disengage the killer-Herdsmen, soldiers will swiftly storm such communities and lay them under siege, providing grounds for the Jihadists to come back and launch attacks; and claiming that they are “searching for or combating “ESN/IPOB terrorists or members”. These have resulted in abduction of several defenseless citizens and killing of scores of others. A typical case in point is Egudene (Agu-Udene)-Ekpofu in Nkanu East, Enugu State where soldiers stormed and attacked on Friday 23rd July 2021 along with Akpugo and Amagunze communities and killed scores in revenge for sacking of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in March 2021. As if that was not enough, the rampaging soldiers, drafted from 82 Division, Enugu also forcefully convened a village meeting at Obodo Nworie Market Square in the same Community and ordered the Community’s Traditional Ruler and the interim PG to ‘compile the list of all the youths in the Community and hand them over or risk having their villages and homes bombed and burned. The soldiers led by a Northern Muslim officer also told the Community’s leaders that all the youths of the Community are “ESN/IPOB members and must be fished out and handed over to them urgently”.