The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a three-week ultimatum to establish an independent judicial commission of inquiry into alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests and extortion reported in the South-East.

HURIWA said it will also engage Amnesty International on the possibility of filing a petition before the International Criminal Court (ICC) if the Federal Government fails to take credible steps to investigate the allegations and hold perpetrators accountable.

The group said the petition may be filed independently or jointly with Amnesty International, subject to discussions and agreement between both organisations.

HURIWA stressed that the proposed ICC action is not an attempt to convict anyone through the media, but a demand for an independent process to establish the truth, identify perpetrators and provide justice to victims and their families.

‘AMNESTY REPORT CANNOT BE IGNORED’

HURIWA said recent findings presented by Amnesty International have made an independent inquiry more urgent.

According to the report cited by HURIWA, Amnesty International documented at least 1,844 deaths in the South-East between 2021 and mid-2023, involving non-state armed groups, state-backed outfits and security operations.

Amnesty also reportedly documented allegations of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, extortion, torture, and deaths in custody, particularly around the Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit known as Tiger Base in Imo State.

The organisation reportedly interviewed 23 former detainees and recorded allegations of torture and poor detention conditions. Three of those interviewed were reported to have died after detention.

HURIWA said these allegations demand more than official denials.

“Where citizens allege that their relatives were taken away by security personnel and never returned, the government must investigate and publish the findings,” HURIWA said.

FAMILIES DEMAND ANSWERS

HURIWA said testimonies presented during the Amnesty International event in Umuahia were disturbing.

Miriam Onyema reportedly said her husband, Kingsley Chinedu, was arrested at Hospital Junction, Imo State, on April 25, 2021, and allegedly labelled an IPOB member. She said his whereabouts remain unknown.

Esther Chinedu reportedly said her husband, Pastor Godspower Chinedu, was arrested in 2022 and has not been seen since.

Caroline Chukwuma reportedly alleged that her husband, Chukwuma Nwokike, was abducted in 2021 at St. Paul Junction, Aba, detained at CPS Aba and later allegedly transferred to Abuja.

Chinwendu Chidiebere reportedly said her husband, Chidiebere Ekwe, was arrested at his workshop in Aba on June 22, 2021, and taken to CPS Aba, while the family was denied access to him.

HURIWA said these allegations must be independently investigated rather than settled through official denials.

TIGER BASE ALLEGATIONS REQUIRE INVESTIGATION

HURIWA is particularly concerned about allegations surrounding the Anti-Kidnapping Unit known as Tiger Base in Imo State.

Nicolas Ejekwu reportedly alleged that soldiers arrested his sons, Obinna and Onyebuchi, at their home and that he was later informed they had been tortured and killed, with their bodies deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia mortuary.

He further reportedly alleged that more than 50 bodies of youths suspected of being IPOB members were found at the mortuary.

HURIWA is not declaring these allegations proven. It is demanding an independent investigation to establish whether they are true.

IPOB LABEL MUST NOT REPLACE INVESTIGATION

HURIWA is also concerned by reports that violent crimes, political killings, and controversial arrests in the South-East are sometimes quickly attributed to IPOB or the Eastern Security Network before detailed investigations are completed.

The group warned that an IPOB label must never become a substitute for criminal investigation or a licence for arbitrary arrest, torture, disappearance, or extrajudicial killing.

“If a person is suspected of terrorism, kidnapping, murder or any serious crime, arrest the person, investigate the allegation and take the person before a competent court. Do not replace prosecution with disappearance,” HURIWA said.

The group also demanded an investigation into allegations that travellers are stopped, detained, and forced to pay money before being released, as well as claims that those who refuse to pay are subsequently framed as IPOB members.

THREE-WEEK ULTIMATUM

HURIWA demands that President Tinubu, within three weeks, establish an independent judicial commission to investigate:

Alleged extrajudicial killings and disappearances;

Allegations surrounding Tiger Base and other detention facilities;

Torture, arbitrary detention, and denial of access to lawyers;

Alleged extortion by security personnel;

Claims that IPOB/ESN labels were used to justify unlawful arrests or killings;

The identities of victims and alleged perpetrators; and

Compensation and other remedies for victims and their families.

HURIWA insists that the commission must be independent of the security agencies accused of wrongdoing.

IMO GOVERNMENT ALSO COVERED

HURIWA said its accountability campaign will also cover the Imo State Government and Governor Hope Uzodimma, particularly because some of the allegations cited by Amnesty International concern security operations and alleged abuses in Imo State.

The organisation stressed that this does not amount to a declaration of guilt against the governor or any government official.

Rather, HURIWA said political office must never shield anyone from an independent investigation.

ICC PETITION IF GOVERNMENT FAILS

HURIWA said failure by the federal government to establish a credible investigative mechanism within the three-week period will trigger the next stage of its campaign.

The organisation will engage Amnesty International and other credible human rights organisations on the possibility of submitting relevant evidence to the International Criminal Court.

HURIWA said any international legal action will be based on documented evidence, applicable international law, and proper legal advice.

“We are giving the Nigerian government an opportunity to act. We are not asking President Tinubu to protect one group against another. We are asking him to protect the Nigerian Constitution and the lives of Nigerian citizens,” HURIWA said.

HURIWA condemned killings and abuses by both non-state armed groups and security personnel, stressing that the government cannot defeat lawlessness by permitting lawlessness within its own institutions.

“An Igbo youth accused of a crime is entitled to a trial. A security officer accused of killing a civilian is entitled to due process. A victim’s family is entitled to the truth. That is what democracy requires,” HURIWA said.

The organisation called on the National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association, and civil society groups to support an independent investigation.

The government has three weeks to demonstrate that Nigeria's justice system can investigate allegations against its own security institutions. If it fails, HURIWA will begin the process of taking the matter beyond Nigeria's borders, including discussions with Amnesty International on a possible ICC petition.

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