By Johnson Agu
Nigeria’s simmering crisis of civil-military relations has taken a dramatic turn in Ebonyi State, where human rights advocates are warning of an unfolding humanitarian emergency following a large-scale military operation in the Amasiri communities of Afikpo Local Government Area.
A formal petition sent to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and leading human rights bodies alleges that Nigerian troops invaded Amasiri in late January, opening fire on civilians, carrying out mass arrests, and forcing residents to flee their homes in what witnesses described as “wartime conditions.”
The letter, written by public interest lawyer and human rights advocate Maduabuchi O. Idam, describes the operation as “entirely unprovoked,” accusing state authorities of collective punishment, abuse of power, and grave violations of civilian rights.
“This is not law enforcement,” Idam wrote. “This is the militarisation of grievance and the punishment of an entire population without investigation, trial, or evidence.”
A Fragile Peace Shattered
The allegations come against the backdrop of a long-running boundary dispute between Amasiri communities and neighbouring Oso Edda. According to the petition, both sides signed a peace agreement in December 2025 and had remained calm while awaiting a state-led conciliation process that had yet to materialise.
Residents say the calm collapsed on January 30, 2026, when soldiers allegedly descended on Amasiri, arresting unarmed civilians and firing indiscriminately through the night.
The lawyer’s petition claims the operation followed the Ebonyi State governor’s decision to dismiss all local government appointees, traditional rulers, and community leaders in Amasiri, an action critics say stripped the community of representation just before the military intervention.
Governor Pushes Back, Defends Crackdown
Governor Francis Ogbonnia Nwifuru has forcefully rejected claims of collective punishment, insisting that the military deployment was a necessary response to what he described as an unprovoked attack on the Oso Edda settlement of Okporojo.
Speaking after a church service at the Government House in Abakaliki, Nwifuru accused assailants from Amasiri of killing residents, beheading victims, and burning homes, allegations he said left the state with no choice but to act decisively.
“If I keep quiet over this, it will send the wrong impression about who we are,” the governor said. “We stand for peace, and we will do everything within our power to enforce it.”
He announced sweeping sanctions:
- Redeployment—and later dismissal—of all civil servants from Amasiri
- Closure of schools, hospitals, and public amenities
- Removal of traditional rulers
- Restrictions on residents’ movement outside the community
- Deployment of additional military forces
At one point, the governor suggested that dissatisfied residents could seek a referendum to leave Ebonyi
