Amnesty International sharply criticized the Nigerian government on Wednesday for its continued failure to tackle the ongoing security and humanitarian crises in the South-East region of the country. According to the human rights organization, the crisis has resulted in the deaths of 1,844 people between January 2021 and June 2023 and a series of severe human rights violations.

Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, "No one knows exactly how many people have been killed in the Southeast since August 2015. The high number of killings and the persistent fear of potential attacks occurring at any time illustrate how severely the authorities are failing to protect lives and property and to maintain law and order."

The region has been embroiled in violent confrontations involving the Nigerian military and various armed factions. Amnesty International's report documents numerous unlawful killings, tortures, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and displacements inflicted not only by state forces but also by violent gunmen, criminal gangs, and state-backed paramilitary groups.

The situation escalated in 2019 in Imo state, where attacks on residents and police stations by unknown armed men led to over 400 deaths. Although the Nigerian government has attributed these attacks to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its military wing, IPOB has denied involvement. Additionally, during IPOB-imposed stay-at-home orders, widespread human rights abuses, including beatings and killings of non-compliers, were reported, further disrupting daily life through the closure of schools and markets.

The persistent state of insecurity has deeply affected traditional customs and fundamental rights, including the rights to life, physical integrity, security, and freedom of movement. Many citizens, displaced by the violence, remain unable to return to their hometowns due to fear of retaliation or abduction.

Amnesty International has urged the Nigerian authorities to fulfill their obligations under international law to end the violence and investigate the abuses thoroughly. Nigeria, grappling with multiple conflicts like the Boko Haram insurgency and clashes between herders and farmers, continues to face international scrutiny over its handling of the crises and the resultant humanitarian impact.

Rights groups have criticized the government's response as ineffectual, failing to reduce the death toll or address the humanitarian implications adequately. As the situation persists, the call for a more effective governmental response grows louder, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention to restore peace and uphold human rights in Nigeria’s turbulent South-East.