Firstsitenews -As the May 30 Biafra Remembrance Day approaches, Amnesty International has issued a strong statement condemning continued human rights violations allegedly committed by Nigerian security forces across the South-East geopolitical zone.
In a press release, the global human rights organization announced it will spotlight the disturbing pattern of brutality and abuse carried out by security personnel in the region since 2015. The organization has consistently documented reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, unlawful detentions, and excessive use of force, particularly against supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other pro-Biafra movements.
One of the darkest moments, according to Amnesty, occurred on May 30, 2016 — a Biafra Remembrance Day during which security forces allegedly unleashed a coordinated assault on unarmed demonstrators. Prior to the memorial rally in Onitsha, Anambra State, military personnel reportedly stormed homes and even a church where IPOB members were resting, in what Amnesty described as a premeditated crackdown.
On the day of the rally itself, security forces were said to have opened fire on peaceful protesters across multiple locations. Amnesty’s investigations could not determine the full death toll, but their findings indicate at least 60 people were killed and over 70 injured in the violence. The military's actions, Amnesty stated, constituted a clear violation of international human rights laws and Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
Amnesty International emphasized that the right to peaceful protest is fundamental and must be respected by all state actors. The organization urged the Nigerian government and its security agencies to act with restraint, uphold human rights principles, and ensure that Remembrance Day on May 30, 2025, is not marred by further bloodshed or repression.
“As the 2025 Biafra Remembrance Day approaches, authorities must ensure that citizens are not criminalized or attacked simply for exercising their right to dissent,” the organization warned, calling for accountability and justice for past victims of state violence.
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