The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, seeking an independent investigation into alleged enforced disappearances, torture, secret burials and prolonged unlawful detention of persons arrested during security operations in the South-East.

The organisation also demanded the release of persons allegedly detained unlawfully, enforcement of court judgments, review of disputed convictions, compensation for victims and accountability for security personnel implicated in alleged human rights violations.

In a petition dated October 27, 2026 and signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC identified Wawa Barracks in Niger State, Department of State Services (DSS) facilities, Tiger Base in Owerri, Imo State, and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) detention facility in Abuja as locations requiring urgent scrutiny.

The petition documented cases of missing persons, alleged torture, denial of access to lawyers and relatives, deaths in custody and convictions reportedly obtained without adequate legal representation.

The petition followed a joint press conference held in Enugu on October 17 by the Southeast Human Rights Bureau (SEHRB), Oganihu Igbo Development Foundation and the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), under the theme, “The Missing, the Detained and the Dead.”

RULAAC said its petition drew on survivors’ testimonies, accounts from relatives and advocates, correspondence and court documents, while stressing the need for independent verification.

Among the cases highlighted was that of Mrs Chinyere Blessing Nwachukwu, whose husband was allegedly arrested by police officers at their Port Harcourt home in 2021 in the presence of their children.

She reportedly received calls from persons claiming to have shared a cell with him at Tiger Base, but officers allegedly denied holding him when she visited. RULAAC called for an investigation to establish his whereabouts and reconcile conflicting reports that he was transferred to Abuja.

The organisation also cited the cases of Ifeanyi Thomas Arinze and Okechukwu Paul, whose wives reportedly said they had not seen their husbands since their respective arrests in 2021. Information subsequently relayed to advocates allegedly indicated that both men had been sighted at Wawa Barracks in 2026. RULAAC demanded a coordinated search of security, military, correctional and court records to establish their whereabouts and legal status.

Another case involved Ozioma Elizabeth Onyeaka, a teacher from Awkuzu, Anambra State, whose family reportedly searched for years without knowing her whereabouts before learning through a lawyer that she was alive and facing terrorism-related proceedings.

She appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja on June 16, 2026. An advocate subsequently alleged that she was returned to Wawa Barracks because she refused to plead guilty. RULAAC urged authorities to verify the allegation and investigate any attempt to pressure her into entering a guilty plea.

The petition further raised concerns about Esther Okwudili Egbom, who was reportedly arrested by DSS operatives during an overnight prayer gathering at God’s Solution Bible Ministry in Aba, Abia State, on February 12, 2025. Her daughter, Chiamaka Happiness Kelvin, alleged that worshippers were assaulted and property destroyed during the operation.

She also alleged that her brother was beaten and later died after suffering severe pain, with a doctor reportedly attributing his condition to internal injuries.

RULAAC said court documents showed that proceedings had been initiated to challenge Egbom’s continued detention. Her daughter later reported that her mother was taken to court without a lawyer, convicted of harbouring a terrorist and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

An advocate reportedly said she was being held at Suleja Custodial Centre. The organisation demanded the complete criminal proceedings, confirmation of her present location and an independent review of the reported conviction, including the circumstances of her plea and legal representation.

The petition also highlighted the case of Agboje Gladys Ngozi, known as Ngozichukwu Ada-Dav, who allegedly suffered torture, serious injuries and deprivation of food and medication while in police custody.

RULAAC cited a judgment delivered on October 6, 2023, by Justice Z. B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1546/2022, which found violations of her fundamental rights and awarded N30 million in compensatory and exemplary damages against the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police, jointly and severally. The court also reportedly ordered a public apology in a national daily.

RULAAC said the judgment remained unimplemented and called for confirmation of whether an appeal or stay of execution existed, insisting that the operative orders should be enforced in the absence of a lawful impediment. It also sought an investigation into the alleged conduct of officers involved and appropriate rehabilitation for the victim.

ther cases included allegations of torture at the IRT facility in Abuja, arrests of relatives in place of wanted persons, and prolonged detention of people reportedly denied legal representation.

The organisation also raised the reported death of Calista Ifedi in custody following her arrest alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi, in Enugu in 2021.

According to the petition, accounts attributed to survivors alleged that she died at Wawa Barracks and was buried in a shallow grave. RULAAC demanded forensic recovery and identification of her remains, their dignified return to the family and an investigation into the circumstances of her reported death.

The petition further cited the disappearance of Benjamin Valentine Ekene, an Anambra Vigilante Group operative reportedly missing since August 2024, and the case of Chidiebere Christian Ugwu, who allegedly suffered assault and prolonged denial of family contact following his arrest.

It also raised concerns about detainees reportedly sentenced to lengthy prison terms without legal representation, urging authorities to retrieve the relevant charges, court proceedings, judgments and records of legal representation.

Describing the recurring references to Wawa Barracks, DSS facilities, Tiger Base and the IRT detention centre as grounds for a coordinated investigation, RULAAC called for an independent inquiry with expertise in criminal investigation, forensic medicine, detention monitoring, human rights and survivor protection.

It said the inquiry must be independent of any security agency or command implicated in the allegations, while allowing the affected institutions to submit evidence and respond to the complaints.

The proposed investigation, according to the petition, should establish the identities of persons detained, transferred, released or recorded as having died at the facilities; identify the arresting officers and operational commanders; determine the legal basis for arrests and continued detention; and examine allegations of torture, coerced confessions, secret burials and denial of access to counsel. (The Nation, but headline rejigged)