Friday, January 31, 2025 - 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 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.
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