Ebonyi Group Petitions National Assembly Over Alleged Rights Violation

Residents of Amasiri community in Afikpo local government area of Ebonyi State have petitioned the National Assembly, alleging widespread human rights violations linked to security operations in the area.

In a petition dated March 11 and addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, and the House Committee on Public Petitions, the residents accused the Ebonyi State government and security agencies of carrying out what they described as unlawful operations across autonomous communities in Amasiri.

The agencies named in the petition include the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Filed by M.O. Idam, on behalf of the residents, the petition was brought forward through community representatives including Lawrence Ikpe, Idam Amadi Idam, Philip Eze, Emmanuel Ekuma, and Oko Agha.

The petitioners alleged that the operations, which followed a curfew imposed by Governor Francis Nwifuru, have resulted in extrajudicial killings, destruction of homes, and the disruption of daily life.

They further claimed that federal highways in the area were unlawfully blocked, while schools and markets were shut down, leaving residents cut off from basic services and economic activities.

According to the petition, the situation has triggered severe hardship across affected communities, with residents allegedly subjected to military brutality and loss of lives.

The petitioners also alleged that the closure of schools has prevented students from sitting for national examinations, while access to healthcare services has been significantly hindered.

“In palpable helplessness, we respectfully submit this petition to the National Assembly of Nigeria on behalf of our clients, citizens whose constitutional protections are gravely threatened.

“Our clients have found themselves in circumstances where their fundamental rights, as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are being undermined through the actions and operations of state authorities and security agencies.

“Our clients and members of their communities are presently subjected to military brutality, extrajudicial killings, and the destruction of private homes and cultural heritage sites.

“Residents have been denied access to schools and medical facilities, while their children have been prevented from participating in national examinations,” the petition read.

The petition also accused security operatives of destroying private properties and looting ancestral artefacts and cultural relics within the community.

The residents linked the crisis to a long-standing boundary dispute between Amasiri and neighbouring Oso-Edda communities over ownership of a farm settlement known as Okporojo.

According to the petitioners, the dispute has spanned generations, often leading to cycles of violence, including loss of lives and destruction of property on both sides.