Independent lawyers have accused the Federal Government of mass abductions and rights violations in South-East.
The lawyers under the aegies of “Concerned and Independent Legal Practitioners” addressed journalists on Monday in Umuahia.
Lead counsel, Segun Adekoya, who read the address, said they represented families of detained and missing persons.
They stressed they are officers of the court, not members of any political movement.
The team said the rule of law had collapsed in the South-East under the guise of a proscription order.
They alleged thousands of Igbo citizens had been arrested, tortured, detained without trial, and in many cases killed.
The counsel presented a history of alleged state brutality beginning with the Nkpor Massacre of May 30, 2016.
They cited Amnesty International reports claiming about 50 people were killed during a peaceful remembrance gathering.
The team also referenced the Feb. 9, 2016 Aba prayer massacre where 22 people were allegedly killed.
They mentioned the Jan. 20, 2017 Trump solidarity rally in Port Harcourt where 11 were reportedly killed.
The lawyers said over 200 persons from that rally were declared missing, with families still waiting.
They also cited the Sept. 2017 Operation Python Dance II invasion of a residence in Afaraukwu, Umuahia.
The July 2021 Abuja protest arrests after Nnamdi Kanu’s rendition were also listed as enforced disappearances.
The lawyers said midnight raids continued across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.
They alleged suspects were taken to Wawa Military Cantonment in Niger State, far from their families.
They described Wawa detention as a place of torture, starvation, poor sanitation and death in custody.
The team cited the case of Mrs Calista Ifedi, detained since Nov. 2021 and reported dead in Jan. 2026.
They demanded the government produce her body and explain circumstances of her death in custody.
Citing Amnesty’s 2025 report, they said at least 1,844 people were killed in the South-East between 2021 and 2023.
The lawyers acknowledged Amnesty International, Intersociety and Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria for documenting atrocities over the years.
They said the crisis now required coordinated legal action and collective advocacy.
A banner bearing names of some missing persons was displayed at the briefing.
The team said that the full list would be submitted to the International Criminal Court African Commission and United Nations.
On legality, they faulted the 2017 proscription order for Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a basis for rights violations.
They argued that the order cannot suspend constitutional rights to liberty, fair hearing and freedom from torture.
They demanded compensation for victims’ families and prosecution of officers implicated in abuses.
They questioned why Enugu church attack suspects were charged promptly while IPOB suspects were held in Wawa.
The team demanded all South-East arrests be tried in competent civilian courts under the ACJA.
They appealed to the UN, AU, EU, US and UK to intervene to prevent further atrocities.
Addressing families, counsel pledged not to relent until every missing person was accounted for.
They called on FG to charge detainees or release them, and to end transfers to distant military facilities.
