A civil rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, has accused security agencies and non-state actors of killing at least 180 persons in the South-East within December 2024 and January 2025.
It also claimed that over N21 billion was extorted from the people of the South-East within the same period.
In a statement issued by the organisation on Thursday, it alleged that killings, abductions and disappearances aimed at violently seizing and pocketing billions of Naira took the centre stage during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The statement made available to DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Intersociety, Chinwe Umeche, Esquire, Head, Democracy and Good Governance Program, Chidinma Udegbunam, Esquire, Head, Campaign and Publicity and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esquire, Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law.
Intersociety claimed that “police and military seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed N21.8billion (police N15 billion and military N6.8 billion) from South-East roadblock and barracks’ extortions in two months: Dec 2024-Jan 2025.”
While providing further details, it alleged that “Uga Junction and Atani Road Naval checkpoints are most ‘lucrative’ in South-East; N600million (N1m per day) seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed in two months (Dec 2024-Jan 2025) from at least ten extortion sources.
“Kidnappers seized N600million from defenseless abductees in 20 days: Dec 28-Jan 18 and N1.2billion in two months (Dec 2024-Jan 2025).
“180 defenseless citizens killed in two months: 140 by armed non-state actors; and 40 others killed outside the law by military, police and killer-vigilantes.
“200 defenseless Southeasterners abducted in two months: 160 by armed non-state actors; and 40 others held outside the law and facing permanent disappearance by military, police and killer-vigilantes.”
It further alleged that the sum represented what it called “criminal billions drawn from direct and indirect roadblock and barracks extortion, numbering over twenty sources and seized from members of the civilian population with legitimate means of livelihood who were extorted while preparing or returning for 2024 Christmas and 2025 New Year holidays or extorted while heading back to their bases after the holidays.”
The findings, according to Intersociety, “were derived from detailed research and investigation and their findings contained in the Intersociety’s December 22, 2024-Special International Report: ‘Ocean Of Innocent Blood Flowing In Eastern Nigeria’”.
“There are presently at least 300 direct military roadblocks, and 500 patrol teams or indirect roadblocks mounted on South-East roads-with 98% of them engaging in direct and indirect roadblocks extortions using publicly procured assault rifles and their ammunition and patrol vans.
“These extortions and allied corrupt practices by military personnel are contrary to Section 108 of the Armed Forces Act of 2004 which prescribes fourteen years jail for any military personnel found involved in the offense of extortion.
“The Report further found that average of N100,000 is illicitly pocketed daily by each of the military roadblocks; translating to N80m daily from 800 military roadblocks and patrol teams in the South-East or N2.4billion per month and N4.8billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“Addition of N2billion was included and estimated to have arisen from direct and indirect barracks extortions and allied others-totaling N6.8billion, seized at gunpoint and illicitly pocketed from South-East motorists and allied others including those that encountered the military personnel in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“Further discovered were not less than ten sources of indirect military extortion in the South-East: with a clear case in point being patterns and trends of the corrupt practices of the officers and personnel of the Ogbaru Base of the Nigerian Navy at Onitsha and Ogbaru- the most lucrative military roadblock in the South-East, to the extent that not less than N1m is seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed daily, translating to at least N600m in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025 by the Uga Junction Main Naval Checkpoint and three others located along Atani Road and Harbor Industrial Layout in Ogbaru, Anambra State,” it alleged.
On the part of the police, Intersociety said corrupt officials pocketed N15billion in the two months under review.
“In the past two months under reference, the deployed officers and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and their high commands manning estimated 2,500 direct roadblocks and patrol teams or indirect roadblocks on South-East roads and allied others are found to have been responsible for seizing at gunpoint and criminally pocketing not less than N15billion from motorists, other road users and those that encountered the police authorities at their barracks.
“The breakdown of the above indicated that Imo State with highest number of police roadblocks and patrol teams (700) in the South-East accounted for N2.94billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025, on daily average of N49million (N70,000 per police roadblock), N1.47billion monthly and N2.94billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“Anambra State, which presently maintains second largest police roadblocks and patrol teams in the Region with estimated 600, N42million was criminally pocketed daily, N1.26billion monthly and N2.52billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“In Abia State with third largest police roadblocks and patrol teams of estimated 500 in the Region, N35million was criminally pocketed daily, N1.05billion monthly and N2.1billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.
“In Enugu State with fourth largest police roadblocks and patrol teams of 400 in the Region, N28million was criminally pocketed daily, N840million monthly and N1.68billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025, and Ebonyi State with fifth largest police roadblocks in the Region of 300 police roadblocks and patrol teams, N21m was pocketed daily, N630m monthly and N1.26billion in two months of December and January 2025.”
The report indicated that kidnappers seized N600m in 20 Days (Dec 28-Jan 18) and N1.2b in Dec-January 2025.
“Estimated N600million was seized at gunpoint from 2024 Christmas and January 2025 New Year holiday makers or returnees by armed non-state actors operating with assault rifles and criminal digital devices in Anambra, Imo, Enugu and others.
“Generally, nothing less than N1.2billion was most likely to have been lost to kidnappers by defenseless South-Easterners in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025 in the Region.
“By our findings derived from our December 22, 2024, Special International Report (Ocean Of Innocent Blood Flowing In Eastern Nigeria”, not less than 180 defenseless citizens of the South-East were attacked and killed in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025,” Intersociety claimed in the report.
Meanwhile, both the police and the military are yet to react to the latest allegations.
This is not the first time the organisation is coming up with such high-scale allegations against security agencies.
