A joint report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), Nigeria, and the United States-based Ekwenche Research Institute has alleged a worsening pattern of killings, abductions, disappearances, displacement and other forms of violence against Judeo-Christian communities in Nigeria, particularly in the South-East.
The report, dated Aug. 9, 2026, focuses extensively on what it describes as the persecution of Igbo communities and the alleged involvement, complicity or failure of political and armed state actors to protect civilians.
The organisations claim that the violence involves a combination of state actors, armed non-state actors and criminal groups. They accuse sections of the Nigerian military, police and intelligence establishments, as well as jihadist Fulani herdsmen and other armed groups, of contributing to the crisis.
The report also raises serious allegations concerning military detention, disappearances, extrajudicial killings, discriminatory law enforcement, ethnic and religious profiling, mass criminalisation and inadequate investigation of attacks.
It further argues that the security crisis in the South-East has evolved from what it describes as predominantly traditional criminality before 2015 into a much broader and more complex security challenge.
Alleged Disappearances and Military Detention
One of the central findings of the report concerns people whom the organisations say have disappeared following military operations in the South-East.
According to the report, more than 6,000 families are still searching for their sons and daughters who allegedly went missing under the Nigerian military between January 2021 and July 2026.
It further claims that thousands of other people remained untraced and unaccounted for between August 2015 and December 2019.
The report specifically alleges that at least 400 people remained abducted, controversially labelled or unaccounted for during the seven months from January to July 2026.
The organisations describe alleged cases of shootings, unlawful killings, secret detention, extrajudicial executions and flawed trials. They also refer to what they describe as life-threatening secret custodial facilities, including a facility they identify as the “WAWA” military cantonment.
These claims are presented by the organisations as evidence of a wider pattern involving the alleged misuse of security powers and the failure of authorities to provide families with information concerning missing relatives.
Alleged Attacks by Jihadist Groups
The report also claims that communities in the South-East have faced attacks attributed to what it describes as jihadist Fulani herdsmen.
It estimates that about 7,000 Judeo-Christian lives have been lost in the South-East since April 2016.
For January to July 2026 alone, the report estimates that approximately 200 people were ambushed, abducted and killed on roads and in forests.
Ezeagu and Eha-Amufu in Enugu State are highlighted as major case studies.
The report alleges that the attacks have occurred alongside what it describes as inaction or inadequate responses by some state governments and security formations.
However, these are allegations contained in the report and are not independently established by the document through official casualty registers, judicial findings or independently verified investigations.
National Religious Violence in July 2026
Beyond the South-East, the report presents figures which it says were compiled, tracked and archived by its researchers and investigators.
It claims that jihadist groups killed 299 Christians and abducted another 213 people across Nigeria in July 2026.
The report identifies Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Adamawa, Niger, Taraba and other areas as affected.
It also claims that about 150 predominantly indigenous Hausa Muslims were killed during the same month.
According to the report, at least six churches were attacked, two Catholic seminarians were abducted, one Catholic priest was killed, while four Pentecostal pastors were either killed or abducted.
The report’s state-by-state figures indicate that Benue recorded the highest number of Christian deaths, with 65 deaths and 30 abductions.
Southern Kaduna followed with 58 Christian deaths and 70 abductions.
Plateau was listed with 55 Christian deaths and at least 10 abductions, while Adamawa recorded 35 Christian deaths and Niger 30.
The report also cites six Christian deaths in Southern Kebbi and abductions in Southern Kebbi, Southern Borno, Kogi and Edo.
It says about 40 additional Christian deaths occurred in other parts of Nigeria, including the South-East.
Based on these figures, the organisations calculate an average of approximately 10 Christian deaths and seven Christian abductions daily during July.
The report attributes about 70 per cent of the alleged jihadist attacks to jihadist Fulani herdsmen and jihadist Fulani bandits.
South-East Described as a Major Security Flashpoint
A major argument of the report is that insecurity in the South-East has become significantly more complex since 2015.
The organisations claim that the region previously faced about 25 forms of traditional street-related violent crime.
They say this number has risen to 65 by the end of July 2026.
According to the report, 40 additional forms of violence have emerged or been imported into the region since 2015.
The organisations divide the alleged perpetrators into three broad categories.
The first comprises political and armed state actors, particularly security forces.
The second includes what the report describes as government-linked armed non-state actors, including jihadist Fulani herdsmen and what it calls externally and internally planted and funded pro-Biafra entities.
The third category consists of independently armed non-state actors and traditional criminal groups.
The report considers state actors and their alleged linked non-state actors to be responsible for some of the most serious abuses.
Alleged Impact of Security Operations
The report argues that the handling of pro-Biafra self-determination protests contributed to the deterioration of security conditions in the South-East.
It accuses political actors and security forces of using what it describes as excessive force and discriminatory practices against communities.
The organisations categorise alleged abuses involving state actors as “conduct-atrocities” or “atrocity-crimes”, while violence attributed to non-state actors is classified as “heinous violent crimes”.
According to the report, these dynamics have contributed to killings, abductions, disappearances and broader insecurity.
Alleged Fulani Herdsmen Attacks on 25 Communities
The report says more than 25 predominantly Igbo and Judeo-Christian communities have experienced attacks or partial sieges attributed to jihadist Fulani herdsmen since January 2026.
The alleged attacks include abductions, disappearances, killings, armed robbery and sexual violence.
Communities named in the report are spread across Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Imo and neighbouring Delta State.
In Enugu, the report identifies parts of Ezeagu, Awgu, Isi-Uzo, Eha-Amufu, Mgbuji, Uzo-Uwani, Nkanu East and Nkanu West.
In Anambra, it mentions areas around Ukwulu, Ogidi, Agulu and Ogbaru.
In Abia, it names parts of Umuahia North and South, including Ubakala and Ohuhu.
In Imo, it identifies areas around Owerri, including Iheagwa, Eziobodo, Obinze, Naze, Nekede, Obibiezena and Irete.
It also cites communities in Oguta, Ohafia, Ohaji-Egbema and Udi, while identifying Ellah and Umuagwu in neighbouring Delta State.
Isi-Uzo Displacement Allegations
A specific case highlighted in the report concerns Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The organisations allege that at least 16 villages have been displaced by attacks attributed to Fulani herdsmen since 2022.
The report cites Evangelist Ebube Joseph, whom it describes as a social media and religious activist, as a source for the allegation.
According to the account attributed to him, residents of the affected communities were forced to flee their homes, businesses and livelihoods.
The report says hundreds of displaced persons are currently facing humanitarian difficulties.
It further claims that only about five per cent of the displaced population is staying in an internally displaced persons camp, while the majority are dispersed across Enugu State and elsewhere.
The report says the activist visited an IDP camp and interviewed displaced residents.
It references an online publication dated July 31, 2026, which reportedly carried the allegations and photographs and video footage from the camp.
Alleged Absence of Official Records
Another major criticism contained in the report is the alleged absence of comprehensive government records documenting attacks attributed to jihadist Fulani herdsmen in the South-East.
The organisations say that despite reports of killings and abductions dating back to 2016, they have found no adequate state records documenting the incidents.
They say such records should include the number of victims, locations, dates, circumstances of attacks, identities of perpetrators, arrests, prosecutions, convictions and compensation or rehabilitation of victims.
The report alleges that instead of comprehensive documentation, authorities have frequently denied attacks or attributed them to other groups.
It specifically accuses security agencies and political authorities of blaming attacks on IPOB/ESN, “unknown gunmen” or “hoodlums”.
The organisations argue that such practices undermine credible intelligence gathering and criminal investigations.
Allegations of False Labelling and Ethnic Profiling
The report repeatedly raises concerns over what it describes as false labelling, ethnic and religious profiling, mass criminalisation and the transfer of criminal responsibility.
It claims that reports of attacks appearing on social media or blogs are sometimes dismissed as “fake news”.
The organisations further allege that independent researchers and investigative organisations reporting such incidents are sometimes labelled sympathisers or affiliates of IPOB/ESN.
According to the report, these practices discourage independent reporting and create difficulties in establishing the identity of perpetrators.
The organisations argue that security agencies should conduct detailed and conclusive investigations before assigning responsibility for attacks.
Structural and Cultural Violence
A central conceptual framework of the report is the distinction between structural, cultural and physical violence.
The organisations describe structural and cultural violence as factors that create conditions for physical violence.
They allege that structural violence in the South-East is reflected in what they describe as ethnic and religious imbalance in the composition of senior military, police and intelligence officers deployed to the region.
The report alleges that northern Muslim officers and combatants have dominated security formations in the South-East since 2015.
It also describes false labelling, ethnic and religious profiling and mass or class criminalisation as forms of what it calls cultural violence.
The organisations contend that these practices ultimately contribute to physical violence, including killings, abductions and disappearances.
International Law and Human Rights Claims
The report places its allegations within the framework of international human rights and humanitarian law.
It argues that religious persecution involves systematic oppression or suppression of individuals or groups because of their religion, beliefs or affiliations.
The organisations invoke the United Nations Charter, the International Criminal Court Statute, the Genocide Convention, the Geneva Conventions and other international instruments.
They argue that some of the alleged acts fall within the categories of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
The report also cites Nigeria’s constitutional protections on freedom of religion and freedom from discrimination.
It references Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution on freedom of religion, conscience and thought, as well as Section 42 concerning freedom from discrimination.
It additionally invokes provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The organisations conclude that the Nigerian government has failed to meet what they regard as its international and constitutional obligations to protect citizens from religious persecution and discrimination.
Warning of Wider Humanitarian Consequences
The report contains a broader warning that continuing ethno-religious violence could develop into a much larger national crisis.
It argues that a Rwandan-style ethno-religious conflict in Nigeria could create a major humanitarian emergency with consequences extending beyond Nigeria.
The report describes Nigeria’s large population and religious diversity as factors that could make widespread ethno-religious conflict particularly destabilising.
The organisations therefore frame the alleged crisis not only as a South-East security problem but as a potential national and international humanitarian concern.
Key Findings Presented by the Organisations
The report’s principal claims can be summarised as follows:
- More than 6,000 families are allegedly searching for relatives who disappeared under the Nigerian military between January 2021 and July 2026.
- At least 400 people are alleged to have remained abducted, controversially labelled or unaccounted for between January and July 2026.
- About 7,000 Judeo-Christian lives are estimated by the organisations to have been lost in the South-East since April 2016.
- About 200 people are alleged to have been ambushed, abducted and killed on roads and in forests in the South-East between January and July 2026.
- The organisations say more than 25 Igbo communities have experienced attacks or sieges attributed to jihadist Fulani herdsmen since January 2026.
- They allege that 16 villages in Isi-Uzo, Enugu State, have been displaced since 2022.
- Nationally, the organisations claim 299 Christians were killed and 213 abducted by jihadist groups in July 2026.
- They also estimate that 150 predominantly indigenous Hausa Muslims were killed during the same month.
- The report alleges attacks on churches, abduction of Catholic seminarians and attacks on Catholic and Pentecostal clergy.
- The organisations contend that insecurity in the South-East has expanded from about 25 traditional forms of violent crime before August 2015 to 65 forms by July 2026.
Overall Assessment of the Document
The joint report presents a highly critical assessment of security and human rights conditions in the South-East and other parts of Nigeria.
Its central argument is that insecurity in the region cannot be explained solely by conventional criminality or pro-Biafra militancy. Instead, the organisations portray the crisis as a combination of armed non-state violence, security-force abuses, political manipulation, alleged ethnic and religious profiling, inadequate investigations and failures of civilian protection.
A particularly important theme is the alleged lack of transparent official records concerning killings, disappearances and displacement. The organisations argue that without reliable records, it becomes difficult to establish responsibility, prosecute perpetrators or provide compensation and rehabilitation for victims.
The report also places considerable emphasis on the alleged role of security agencies, accusing sections of the military, police and intelligence establishments of discriminatory practices and excessive use of force.
At the same time, the report contains serious allegations against non-state actors, particularly groups it identifies as jihadist Fulani herdsmen and bandits.
Important Reporting Caveat
The figures, classifications and allegations in the document are those of Intersociety and the Ekwenche Research Institute. The document does not itself provide independent verification of every casualty figure or allegation, nor does it include comprehensive official records, court judgments or independently audited datasets supporting all of its claims.
Consequently, the figures should be attributed in news reporting to the organisations that produced the report.
Claims involving specific government agencies, military formations, communities or alleged perpetrators should also be presented as allegations unless independently corroborated.
The report itself provides contact details for Intersociety and the Ekwenche Research Institute and identifies Emeka Umeagbalasi as Lead Researcher and Head of Intersociety Nigeria, alongside other officials of the two organisations.
Conclusion
The joint report paints a picture of a deeply deteriorating security and human-rights situation in parts of Nigeria, with the South-East presented as a particularly severe flashpoint.
Its most significant concerns are alleged mass disappearances, killings, abductions, displacement, religious persecution, security-force abuses and the alleged failure of authorities to properly document and investigate attacks.
The report calls attention to the humanitarian consequences of prolonged insecurity and argues that failure to address the underlying grievances and alleged abuses could deepen ethnic and religious tensions.
For policymakers, security agencies and human-rights organisations, the report raises questions about civilian protection, accountability, transparency in security operations, investigation of disappearances, treatment of detainees, protection of displaced communities and the need for credible data on violent incidents.
The report’s allegations, however, require independent verification and responses from the Nigerian Government, the Nigerian Army, police authorities, relevant state governments and other parties named or implicated before its claims can be treated as established facts.
Below is the full report:
Enugu-Nigeria, Sunday August 9, 2026): Joint International Report By Nigeria’s Intersociety And United States-Based Ekwenche Research Institute On Political And Armed State Actor And Armed Non-State Actor Ethno-Religious Persecution Of Defenseless Igbo Land South-East Judeo-Christians And Wanton Attacks On Their Territories And Properties Using Structural, Cultural And Physical Violence
Title:
Under Political And Armed State Actors In South-East: Igbo Land Judeo-Christian Parents Found To Have Shunned Military Enlistment Of Their Children Because More Than 6000 Families Still Looking For Their Beloved Sons And Daughters Gone Missing Under Nigerian Military Since Jan 2021-July 2026
– As Thousands Of Others Remain Untraced And Un-Accounted For Between August 2015 And Dec 2019
– To The Extent That No Fewer Than 400 Remained Abducted, Controversially Labelled And Un-Accounted For In Seven Months Of Jan-July 2026: A Special Case-Study Of Widespread Abductions, Disappearances, Shootings At Close Range Outside Circumstantial Evidence, Extrajudicial And Other Unlawful Killings-Using False Labelling, Discriminatory Law Enforcements, Mass Criminalization And Class Stigmatization, Ethno-Religious Profiling And Flawed Trials At ‘WAWA’ Military Cantonment And Other Life-Threatening Secret Custodial Facilities In Northern Nigeria
Under Armed Non-State Actor And Political And Armed State Actor Conspiracy: Igbo Land South-East Found To Be Bleeding Under Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen-Led Secret And Open Terror Attacks In Conspiracy With And Inaction Of South-East Governments And The Region’s Military, Police And Intelligence Formations -Using False Denials, Cover-Ups, Apportionment Of Blames On Wrong Parties And Suppression Of Facts-To Deny Responsibility Since 2015-With Estimated 7000 Judeo-Christian Lives Lost Since April 2016 And 200 Others Estimated To Have Been Ambushed, Abducted And Killed On Roadways And Forests In Seven Months Of January-July 2026: A Case-Study Of Ezeagu And Eha-Amufu Communities’ Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen Mayhem And Circumstantial Complicity Of Enugu Government, Enugu State Police Command And Soldiers Of 82 Division Of The Nigerian Army-Enugu
Under Armed Non-State Actor Genocide: Islamic Jihadists Killed 299 Defenceless And Peaceful Christians And Abducted 213 Others Across Nigeria In July 2026 Alone; Killed 150 Mostly Indigenous Hausa Muslims, Attacked And Sacked Four Churches, Abducted Two Catholic Seminarians, Killed A Catholic Reverend Father And Killed Or Abducted Four Pentecostal Pastors
(1) Fundamental Findings:
Criminality Of Religious Persecution Under United Nations: Religious persecution is the systematic oppression and suppression of an individual or a group of individuals on the grounds of their religion or beliefs or affiliations; using systematic application of state actor or non-state actor (or both) violence of international criminal law gravity, defined and recognized as ‘Heinous Crimes or Conduct-Atrocities’ within the frameworks of the United Nations’ Charter of 1945 and the International Court Criminal Statute of 1998, both of which were inviolably ratified by Nigeria on October 7, 1960 and September 27, 2001.
Such violence warranting state actor or non-state actor Religious Persecution must be those clearly defined and recognized as amounting to ‘Crimes against Humanity’, ‘War Crimes’ and ‘Crimes of Genocide’ contained in the International Criminal Court Statute of 1998 and the Genocide Convention of 1948; both of which were inviolably ratified by Nigeria on September 27, 2001 and July 27, 2009. In Nigeria, there are at least 22 International Heinous Crimes involved in the state actor and non-state actor Religious Persecution Heinous Crimes tearing Nigeria apart and frightening, uprooting and unsettling the country’s estimated 113m Judeo-Christians
Nigeria’s Obligations Under International Religious Freedoms In Gross Breach: The Nigerian State or Government of Nigeria including political state actors and armed state actors are found to have woefully failed to honor the country’s international obligations especially those aimed at ensuring International Peace and Security and minimization of large scale interstate and intrastate violent conflicts under the United Nations System. This to the extent that should Nigeria with UN estimated 230m population explodes into Rwandan-type ethno-religious genocidal conflict, the whole World and its leading Continents of Europe, South America and Asia including ASEAN, Gulf States and Middle-East will be imploded and exploded into intractable humanitarian tragedies and “complex humanitarian emergencies!
This also is to the extent that Government of Nigeria has failed woefully to uphold and protect International Freedom of Religion or Beliefs contained in Sections 38 (right to freedom of religion, conscience and thought) and 42 (right to freedom from discrimination) of the country’s Municipal Constitution and Articles 8 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981), the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948) as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976). The Nigerian Government is also found to have observed in gross breach the Right to Freedom from Discrimination under Section 42 of the country’s 1999 Constitution and Articles 1 and 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Articles 2, 3 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Articles 2, 3 and 18(3) of the African Charter on Human Rights and Peoples Rights.
From our collected statistics, Research and Investigative findings, the Government of Nigeria and the State-protected armed jihadist non-state actors are undeniably found to have grossly breached the fundamental provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (Laws of Intrastate and Interstate Armed Conflicts and the Conventions’ enabling Protocols and the International Rules of Engagement such as the Use of Force and Proportionality of it. Nigeria also gross breached the Genocide Convention of 1948 and the International Criminal Court Statute of 1998 including the Court’s criminal jurisdictions on War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Crimes of Genocide. Nigeria inviolably ratified the Geneva Conventions on June 20, 1961. These political state actor, armed state actor and armed non-state actor abuses, breaches and violations are found by our Researchers and Investigators to have been rooted in Religious Persecution and its attendant international heinous crimes.
Islamic Jihadists Killed 299 Peaceful Christians & Abducted 213 Others In July 2026: According to the summary of statistics, tracked, collected and archived by our Researchers and Investigators, at least 299 defenceless and peaceful Christians were killed by Islamic Jihadists in Nigeria particularly in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Adamawa, Niger, Taraba, among others; during which no fewer than 213 others were abducted. Available statistics further estimated that 150 mostly indigenous Hausa Muslims were killed in the same month. At least, six churches came under jihadist attack, two Catholic Seminarians abducted in Enugu and Kogi, one Catholic Priest killed and four Pastors killed or abducted. The breakdown showed that Benue State recorded the highest number of jihadist killings with 65 Christian deaths, during which 30 were abducted; followed by Southern part of Kaduna State where 58 Christians were killed and 70 others abducted, making it the State with the highest number of abducted Christians in July 2026. Plateau State came third with 55 Christian deaths and not less than 10 abducted Christians; followed by Adamawa State with 35 Christian deaths, Niger with 30 Christian deaths, Southern Kebbi with 6 Christian deaths and 18 abducted Christians. Southern Borno also recorded 20 abducted Christians, Kogi 20 abducted Christians and Edo 20 abducted Christians. There are also at least 40 Christian deaths arising from Jihadist attacks in other parts of the country including in the South-East. The above figures also included “dark figures of crime”. Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Jihadist Fulani Bandits are also found to have taken the lead with at least 70% culpability. In the end, our Researchers and Investigators also made findings showing that average of ten Christian deaths per day and seven abducted Christians per day were recorded.
South-East Gravely & Atrociously Bleeding: According to our collected statistics, research and investigative findings, the Igbo Land South-East Nigeria is under grisly and egregious ethno-religious persecution and systematic and coordinated violent attacks by political state and armed state actors and armed non-state actors. This is to the extent that there are not less than 40 externally planted or imported violent crimes and 14-group perpetrators involved ravaging the Region since August 2015. We wish to disclose further that before June 2015, Igbo Land South-East as a “Socio-Economic Blue-Collar Society” was only bedevilled and still bedevil by estimated 25 Traditional Street Violent Crimes perpetrated by hundreds of traditional street violent criminal syndicates or entities.
Our research and investigative findings also divided the 40 externally planted or imported violent crimes and their group-perpetrators into three major categories of: (1) political state actor and armed state actor group-perpetrators particularly the Nigerian Military, (2) government-linked armed non-state actor group-perpetrators particularly Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and externally and internally planted and funded Criminal Pro Biafra Entities; and (3) independently armed non-state actor group-perpetrators or traditional street violent criminal entities; out of which armed state actor and their linked armed non-state actor group-perpetrators are found to be the most atrocious. In other words, Igbo Land South-East was violently troubled before the first quarter of 2015 by only 25 traditional street violent crimes and their perpetrators before August 2015 till this date.
Today, the number of violent crimes in the South-East has dangerously jumped from 25 before August 2015 to 65 as at end of July 2026. The addition of 40 externally planted or imported others was brought about by internally planted malicious political class and their patrons or paymasters who also flooded the South-East Region with battalions of abusive and brutish military and police crack squad officers and personnel brutalizing, thieving and troubling the Region since 2015 and 2021 respectively. The implosive and explosive list of the 65 violent crimes bedevilling the South-East since then was also found to have arising from the emergence of externally and internally planted malicious political class desperate to perpetually remain in public offices at the expense of collective security and safety of the defenceless citizens of Igbo Land South-East and their territories and properties.
For purpose of further clarifications, violent crimes associated with political and armed state actors such as deployed security forces in the South-East, particularly the Military are categorized under Conduct-Atrocities or Atrocity-Crimes while those associated with government-linked armed non-state actors and independently armed non-state actors are categorized under Heinous Violent Crimes. Findings from our Researchers and Investigators also indicated that mishandling or poor handling of “Pro Biafra Self Determination Civil Protests” by external and internal political class and deployed armed state actors; in their desperation to strangulate and conquer Judeo-Christian Eastern Nigeria particularly the Igbo South-East-using ethno-religious radicalism and persecution also compounded the insecurity and other unsafe conditions in the Region since August 2015.
State Actor Use Of Structural And Cultural Violence To Bury South-East Butteries: In Criminology and Security Studies, ‘Structural and Cultural Violence’ are the progenitors of ‘Physical Violence’ and have been put to reckless and indiscriminate use by political state actors and armed state actors in South-East since August 2015. For the record, Structural Violence, used by political and armed ) and May 2026, producing detailed investigative Reports on May 19, 2026 (https://intersociety-ng.org/report-ezeagu-enugu-army-invasion-civilian-house-burnings-and-allied-atrocities/) and December 16, 2025 (https://intersociety-ng.org/over-20-dens-of-jihadist-fulani-terror-discovered-in-communities-of-ezeagu-in-enugu-state/).
Over 25 Igbo Communities Under Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen Siege Since January 2026: By our recently collected statistics, more than twenty-five Igbo Land Judeo-Christian Communities have been under Jihadist Fulani Herdsman siege and attacks since January 2026, partly or substantially. These are rarely reported by mainstream media except some social media and eyewitnesses accounts. As part of their broad policy of cover-ups, false denials, transfer of criminal responsibility, ethno-religious profiling and false labeling, the Governors of respective South-East States and stationed security establishments and their authorities as well as government-owned and muzzled or censored independent media are found to have rarely reported such jihadist attacks. The political state actors and armed state actors are also found to have engaged in sponsoring counter social media outfits to deny such reports or blame such attacks on wrong or uninvolved parties (especially “IPOB/ESN” or “unknown gunmen/hoodlums”). The armed state actors in Igbo Land South-East have also collapsed processes of credible intelligence gathering and detailed and conclusive criminal investigations by recklessly and dangerously relying on “hasty and hearsay conclusions”, false labeling, ethno-religious profiling, mass and class criminalization and distorted, concocted and doctored intelligence or criminal investigation outcomes. Among the partly or substantially affected twenty-five Igbo South-East communities found to have been experiencing Jihadist Fulani attacks such as abductions, disappearances, secret killings, armed robberies, sexual violence, among others are several communities of Ezeagu in Enugu; some parts of Ukwulu, Ogidi, Agulu and Ogbaru communities in Anambra; some communities of Umuahia North and Umuahia South including Ubakala and Ohuhu in Abia; some parts of communities of Iheagwa, Eziobodo, Obinze, Naze, Nekede, Obibiezena and Irete in Owerri and its environs in Imo where abduction of no fewer than a dozen students, travelers and indigenous farmers and killing of scores recently occurred. Others are some communities of Awgu and Isi-Uzo in Enugu State including Eha-Amufu and Mgbuji; some communities of Uzo-Uwani including Ogurugu, Igga, Nimbo and Adani; some communities of Nkanu East and West including Akpawfu and Mburubu; some communities of Oguta including Agwa and Izombe; and some communities of Ohafia including Isiugwu, Amangwu and Akanu; some communities of Ohaji-Egbema; and some communities of Udi including Affa, among others. In neighboring Igbo-Delta State, Ellah and Umuagwu communities are also affected.
Enugu State Govt., Police, Army Watched Idly As Fulani Jihadists Sacked 16 Villages In Isi-Uzo: Not less than sixteen Trado-Judo-Christian villages in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State have been sacked by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in the past four years or since 2022. This is to the extent that Government of Enugu State and stationed military and police establishments and their authorities have turned blind eyes, looking for ways to blame such jihadist terror on “IPOB/ESN”. This was exclusively disclosed by a popular social media and religious activist, Evangelist Ebube Joseph who recently visited one of the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps in the area-where he raised serious concerns over the humanitarian crisis facing the internally displaced persons in the area, numbering hundreds. According to him, “attacks by Fulani Herdsmen have forced residents of 16 communities or villages to flee their homes and displaced in the past four years (since 2022) without homes, businesses and other means of livelihood, all destroyed by Fulani Herdsmen in four years”. Evangelist Ebube Joseph also conducted live interviews with some of the displaced persons, disclosing that only about 5% of the displaced persons were in the IDP camp while most of others scattered in different parts of Enugu and beyond. He accused the Government of Enugu State of doing little or nothing to ensure their security, safety and welfare, and freedom of religion or beliefs, contrary to Sections 14 (2b) and 38 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. He also shared verified pictures and video clips from the camp. His encounter was published in a number of online media platforms including Akelicious Online Report of July 31, 2026 (https://www.akelicious.net/16-villages-sacked-by-fulani-herdsmen-in-enugu-state/). Here is also the Facebook link to the video, exclusively shared by Evangelist Ebube: https://www.facebook.com/100085347687482/posts/1003021292552784/?rdid=LFWFtF3FGTdPpWSN#
No Traces Of State Records Of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen Terror In South-East In Past 10 Years: Despite several independent reports or findings regarding the terror activities of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen across the Igbo Land South-East since 2016 or in past ten years, including mass killings and abductions resulting in no fewer than 7000 Igbo Judeo-Christian deaths and thousands of abducted and possibly disappeared others; there have been no traces of State actor records documenting or evidencing such attacks including number of those attacked, where, when, why and how they were attacked and identities of those that attacked them and how many of the attackers (if any) have been tracked, arrested, tried and convicted and compensation and rehabilitation measures taken to restore the victims back to their former normal ethno-religious lifestyles. Instead, such grisly and egregious attacks have officially been debunked when rarely published in the mainstream media. In most cases, mainstream media reporters are censored from reporting them. The political and armed state actors are also found to have resorted to use of propaganda, harassment and intimidation to scare independent media reporters away and intimidate them and researchers into not reporting them.
Where they are rarely reported in social media and blogs, they are instantly tagged “fake news” or falsely labeled as “the handiwork of IPOB/ESN or unknown gunmen or hoodlums or Christian kidnappers”. Local and international research and investigative bodies are found to have often been labeled “sympathizers or affiliates of IPOB/ESN”. There is also reckless use of transfer of criminal responsibility or apportionment of blames on wrong parties, in addition to false labeling, hasty and hearsay conclusions, class or mass criminalization and ethno-religious profiling-all done without credible intelligence and detailed and conclusive criminal investigations.
Reckless Resort By State Actors To Structural Violence, Physical Violence And Cultural Violence: Part of the murderous armed state actor operational policy fueling mass killings, abductions and disappearances of thousands of Igbo Land South-East Judeo-Christian civilians especially their productive male population-is reckless and indiscriminate resort to structural, physical and cultural violence; a deliberate policy of depopulation. Structural Violence is sustained through gross lopsidedness and discrimination in the ethnic and religious composition of top military, police and intelligence establishment officers posted to the South-East to man such formations and their field combatants; found to have been steadily dominated since 2015 by Northern Muslim officers and their combatants. Armed state actor Cultural Violence in the East is sustained through reckless use of false labeling, ethno-religious profiling and mass or class criminalization; resulting in mass killings, abductions and disappearances (Physical Violence).
In Service to Humanity,
For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law-Intersociety, Nigeria
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist and Graduate of Security Studies
Lead Researcher and Head of Intersociety Nigeria
Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Barrister-at-Law
Head, Department of Campaign and Publicity, Intersociety Nigeria
Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Barrister-at-Law
Head, Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety Nigeria
Digital Contacts:
Mobile/WhatsApp Lines: +2349043234178, +2349130156872
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org: Website: https://intersociety-ng.org
For: Ekwenche Research Institute & Organization, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Prof Justin Akujieze
President and Chairman of the Board
Ekwenche Research Institute, USA
Contact: +1 (773) 206-9401
Mazi Luke Nwannunu
Secretary and Chair, Finance Committee
Ekwenche Research Institute, USA
Contact: +1 (773) 294-1997
Rev. Father Emeka Nwachukwu
Chair, Education and Spirituality Committee
Ekwenche Research Institute, USA
Contact: +1(630) 835-4918
Tags: Allege worsening ethno religious Ekwenche Institute Intersociety Report South East
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