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Monarch, over 1,800 killed in South-East Nigeria – Amnesty
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More than 1,800 people, including a monarch, have been killed across Nigeria’s south-east region in just over two years, according to data released by Amnesty International, which has accused both armed separatists and security forces of widespread human rights abuses and unchecked violence.
The human rights organisation said at least 1,844 people lost their lives between January 2021 and June 2023 in attacks carried out by so-called unknown gunmen, local militias, and state-backed security outfits.
Amnesty said this cut across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. The figure, drawn from victim interviews, police reports, and media verification, is part of what Amnesty describes as a decade of impunity in the country’s south-east.
In one particular case cited in Amnesty’s recent report, gunmen stormed the palace of a traditional ruler, HRH Eze Ignatius Asor, in the Obudi Agwa community of Imo State on 14 November 2022.
Witnesses said about 30 armed men arrived in a convoy of Sienna buses, opened fire in the palace courtyard, and executed the monarch and two visiting chiefs in cold blood.
The attackers allegedly fired more than 16 bullets into the traditional ruler’s body before fleeing the scene. No arrests have been made since the incident.
The Guardian had earlier reported that the violence was traced back to 2019, when armed factions began enforcing sit-at-home orders linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a banned separatist group agitating for the restoration of the defunct Biafra Republic.
While IPOB has repeatedly denied involvement in civilian killings, Amnesty’s findings reveal that various splinter cells now operate independently, launching coordinated assaults on police stations, markets and public officials.
Imo State has been the hardest hit, recording more than 400 deaths between 2019 and 2021, a figure many people say is under-reported, followed by Anambra and Ebonyi states.
The group’s latest data also shows that since December 2022, over 100 additional fatalities have been documented, many of them victims of midnight raids, assassinations and reprisal attacks.
In its investigation, Amnesty described the attackers’ methods as calculated and terroristic. In some communities, including Oguta and Izombe in Imo and Lilu in Anambra, residents have fled en masse as gunmen impose levies, loot livestock and burn homes.
Traditional institutions, which often serve as intermediaries in local disputes, have been decimated.
Alongside these atrocities, the report also noted serious allegations against government forces and the regionally created Ebube Agu security network.
The outfit, established in 2021 by south-east governors to curb insecurity, has been accused of arbitrary arrests, torture and summary executions.
According to Amnesty, these twin layers of violence from non-state actors and from security agencies have produced a climate of fear and mistrust. Families of victims often face intimidation when they seek justice, while police investigations are either stalled or inconclusive.
“The lack of accountability emboldens perpetrators,” Amnesty said. “Communities now live between the terror of the gunmen and the fear of those meant to protect them.”
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has denied Amnesty’s claims, stating that the armed forces operate strictly within the law and have conducted measured and intelligence-driven operations in volatile areas.
However, civil society groups and local media continue to document reports of extrajudicial killings and property destruction during military raids in Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi states.
The killings have also taken a toll on the region’s economy. Many small businesses have shut down due to constant stay-at-home orders, while farmers and traders avoid major highways out of fear of ambush.
Amnesty’s 2025 report, titled “A Decade of Impunity”, calls on the federal government to prioritise justice and accountability for victims.
The organisation urged Abuja to establish an independent judicial panel to investigate all killings, disappearances and cases of torture in the south-east, and to provide compensation to families of victims.
The group also demanded an end to the militarisation of civilian spaces and greater oversight of regional security outfits.
“Security must not come at the cost of human rights,” the report said. “Without justice, peace in the south-east will remain elusive.”
The situation has continued to deteriorate over the past few months. In May 2025, at least 30 travellers were killed when gunmen attacked vehicles along the Okigwe–Owerri highway in Imo State, setting over 20 vehicles ablaze.
That attack came just weeks after 15 villagers were abducted in Anambra, while four policemen were killed in a separate ambush near Ezza North in Ebonyi.
“Act decisively to prevent Nigeria’s south-east from sliding into another full-blown conflict zone,” Amnesty said.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Gianni Infantino was “the wrong man” to lead Fifa after a senior adviser to the president resigned and a third confederation opposed his plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors.
Burnham was critical of the proposal when it was first announced, and told reporters on Friday: “This was an outrageous suggestion.
“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, [he] is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”
Burnham was speaking hours after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it “stands in solidarity” with counterparts in Europe and North, Central America and the Caribbean.
The AFC added Infantino’s plan could not “realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward”.
“The Fifa World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all Confederations and the world’s leading football nations,” it said.
“Any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered.”
Shortly after that statement, Carlos Cordeiro – Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance – resigned, saying the proposal was “a bad deal for football” and would “mortgage football’s future”.
The AFC’s statement means Infantino’s plans are unlikely to be approved by Fifa members if put to a vote.
Infantino had indicated the proposals would need a straight majority to go through – meaning 106 of its 211 members needed to vote in favour for the proposal.
Uefa – the body that governs European football – has 55 votes. Concacaf, which oversees football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, has 35 and Asia has 46.
Should all member associations back the stance of their governing body, that would mean 136 nations are against Infantino’s plan.
•BBC Sports
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced the death of its Enugu State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Franklin Agbakoba.
Agbakoba passed away on Thursday, July 30, while receiving medical treatment at the Niger Foundation Hospital in Enugu, bringing an end to his service with the road safety agency.
The sad development was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the Deputy Corps Commander in charge of Operations in Enugu State, Kyrian Okolo.
“The FRSC Enugu State Sector Command received the sad news of the demise of Corps Commander Franklin Agbakoba on Thursday, 30 July,” the statement read.
According to the FRSC, the late sector commander’s remains have been deposited at the Eastern Medical Centre in Enugu.News
The agency, however, did not disclose the nature of the illness that led to his death or provide further details surrounding the circumstances of his passing.
Until his death, Agbakoba was widely recognised for his commitment to improving road safety and strengthening collaboration among security, emergency response and other relevant agencies operating in Enugu State.
During his tenure, he championed initiatives aimed at enhancing inter-agency cooperation, reducing road traffic crashes and promoting public awareness on road safety regulations.
The FRSC also credited him with fostering strategic partnerships that contributed to the advancement of road safety campaigns and the effective delivery of its mandate across the state.
His death has been described as a significant loss to the Corps, colleagues and stakeholders in the transportation and emergency response sectors who worked closely with him during his time in office.
Further announcements regarding funeral arrangements are expected to be made by the family and the Federal Road Safety Corps in due course.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it manually submitted its list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, including the nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate.Executive Branch
The electoral body reiterated that political parties are required to submit the names of their candidates exclusively through its designated electronic nomination portal, casting doubt on the faction’s assertion that it resorted to manual submission after allegedly being denied access to the system.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Ita-Messi, made the clarification in an interview with Leadership in Abuja on Friday while responding to the claims made by the PDP faction.
Although she declined to confirm whether any documents had been received from the group, Ita-Messi stressed that the commission has a clearly defined procedure for the submission of candidates’ names.
“I am not in a position to confirm that to you, but can only tell you that there are procedures for submitting the names of political parties’ candidates to the INEC portal,” she said.
She also questioned the consistency of the faction’s claims, noting that it was contradictory to allege being denied access to the electronic platform while simultaneously claiming to have successfully submitted a list of candidates.
“If the faction claimed that they were denied access to the code, how did they submit the list of their candidates to the commission?” Ita-Messi asked.
INEC’s response comes a day after the Kabiru Turaki-led faction held a press conference in Abuja, where it announced that it had submitted its list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The faction claimed the list included former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate, alongside nominees for governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly positions.
According to the group, it adopted the manual submission process after the commission allegedly refused to provide the access codes required to upload candidates through INEC’s electronic portal.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, maintained that the manual submission complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 despite the alleged denial of access to the online platform.
Ememobong also accused INEC of failing to remain neutral in the ongoing leadership dispute within the PDP, alleging that the commission had ignored relevant facts and judicial decisions relating to the party’s internal crisis.
The leadership tussle within the PDP has produced rival groups laying claim to the party’s national structure, with both sides seeking recognition from the electoral commission ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
INEC, however, has consistently maintained that political parties must comply with its established guidelines and statutory procedures for the nomination and submission of candidates.
UK PM Burnham slams Infantino, says he’s the ‘wrong man’ to lead FIFA
SAD: FRSC Enugu Sector Commander Is Dead
INEC Rejects PDP’s Submission Of Jonathan As 2027 Presidential Candidate
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