Southeast Human Rights Bureau Demands Investigation into Abuses

On October 26, a coalition of human rights organizations, led by the Southeast Human Rights Bureau (SEHRB) in partnership with the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law and the Oganihu Igbo Development Foundation, demanded an independent investigation into reported disappearances, torture, and custodial deaths in the Southeast. This call was made during a press conference in Enugu, where they presented evidence of deaths and disappearances linked to security operations.

The groups outlined eight demands, including a comprehensive audit of detention centers, full accounting of missing persons, forensic investigations of mortuaries, and judicial safeguards for detainees. They emphasized the need for the prosecution of perpetrators of human rights abuses and called for victim remedies and rehabilitation.

Additionally, they proposed the establishment of a Southeast Documentation Mechanism to track disappeared persons and a civilian oversight initiative to monitor security agency operations. The groups acknowledged the severe security challenges in the region but insisted that state lawlessness cannot be justified.