From CHARLES ONYEKWERE, Enugu
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 between 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.
A statement issued by the organisation on Friday 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 AljazirahNigeria at the weekend and signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Intersociety, Chinwe Umeche, Head, Democracy and Good Governance Programme, Chidinma Udegbunam, Head, Campaign and Publicity and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, claimed that “the police and military seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed N21.8 billion (police N15 billion and military N6.8 billion) from South-East roadblock and barracks extortion in two months: December 2024 and January 2025.”
While providing further details, it alleged that “Uga Junction and Atani Road Naval checkpoints are most ‘lucrative’. N600million (N1 million per day) was seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed in two months from at least ten extortion sources.
“Kidnappers seized N600 million from defenseless abductees in 20 days: December 28-January 18 and N1.2billion in two months (December 2024-January 2025).
“180 defenseless citizens were 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 were 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 alleged that the sum represents what it called “criminal billions drawn from direct and indirect roadblock and barracks extortion, numbering over 20 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 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 percent of them engaging in direct and indirect roadblock extortion, 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 14 years jail for any military personnel found involved in the offense of extortion.
“The report noted that an average of N100,000 is illicitly pocketed daily by each of the military roadblocks; translating to N80 million 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.
“N2billion was included and estimated to have arisen from direct and indirect barracks extortion and others-totaling N6.8billion, seized at gunpoint and illicitly pocketed from motorists and others including those that encountered military personnel.
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, 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 others were 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 the highest number of police roadblocks and patrol teams (700) accounted for N2.94billion daily with an 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.”
Meanwhile, 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.
