Tony Okafor, Awka
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has raised fresh concerns over what it describes as eight “major atrocity policies and conducts” by successive Nigerian governments since 2015 that drive South-East youth away from the military.
The group said the alleged actions have significantly eroded trust in the armed forces and contributed to declining enlistment of youths from the South-East into the military, police, and intelligence services.
The rights organisation made the claims in a statement issued on Tuesday in Onitsha, responding to concerns reportedly expressed by the Nigerian Army over what it described as “increasing unwillingness” among South-East youths to join military service.
The statement was signed by:
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist and Graduate of Security Studies, Head, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law; Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Esq., Human Rights Lawyer and Head, Department of Campaign and Publicity, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law; Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq, Human Rights Lawyer/Head, Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law; Comrade Chibueze Nwajiaku, Deputy Head, Department of Policing and Law Enforcement, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law.
According to the Army, the region accounted for only 123 enlistments out of 38,000 recruitment slots nationwide.
Intersociety, however, rejected suggestions that the trend was unrelated to state conduct, insisting instead that it was the consequence of what it termed “systematic structural, physical, and cultural violence” against citizens of the South-East since July 2015.
The organisation alleged that repeated reports by human rights groups, including Amnesty International and other civil society actors, had documented abuses ranging from extrajudicial killings to enforced disappearances, particularly during military operations in the region and in the context of counter-insurgency activities nationwide.
It further argued that repeated complaints and investigative reports had been ignored by successive administrations, while critics and authors of such reports were allegedly subjected to intimidation, denial, and public discrediting.
According to Intersociety, families in parts of the South-East have increasingly discouraged their children—particularly males aged 18 and above—from joining security services due to fears of alleged targeting, disappearance, or discriminatory treatment.
It also said some serving officers from the region had previously resigned under what it described as “pressure and security fears.”
The group outlined eight key issues it attributed to declining confidence in the security forces.
These include alleged historical killings and disappearances of civilians during the Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria; accusations of internal conspiracies and insecurity faced by South-East officers within the military; and alleged mass casualties and destruction of property during security operations in the South-East between 2015 and 2017.
It also referenced the 2020 military operations in Obigbo, Rivers State, during the #EndSARS-related unrest, alleging fatalities, detentions, and disappearances, as well as broader claims of civilian casualties in counter-insurgency and internal security operations in the South-East.
Other allegations include widespread destruction of homes and displacement of communities during military operations, claims of unequal treatment of insurgents in different parts of the country, and fears of renewed military crackdowns during national protests, which Intersociety said were averted only because of public caution.
The organisation further accused the authorities of failing to properly investigate or prosecute alleged abuses, instead resorting to denial and labelling civil society actors as sympathisers of outlawed groups.
Intersociety maintained that these developments have created deep mistrust between communities in the South-East and the security establishment, warning that the consequences are now reflected in recruitment figures.
It called for independent investigations into longstanding allegations of human rights violations, accountability for security operations, and comprehensive reforms aimed at restoring public confidence in national security institutions.
As of press time, there had been no official response from the Nigerian Army or Defence Headquarters to the specific claims contained in the statement.