…350 Deaths Shockingly Recorded in 18 Days (June 12-30): 120 in Plateau, 100 (by military, ors) in Imo and 130 across Nigeria

…Security Forces Killed 1000 in Imo State in 30 Months (Jan2021-June 2023), Burned Down 1,400 Houses And Arrested 3,700

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), Nigeria’s leading research and investigative human rights, rule of law and security and safety advocacy Organization since 2008 has comprehensively reviewed its special investigative reports on the genocidal situation of Christians in Nigeria and the Imo mass atrocities issued on April 10/June 12 and May 21, 2023.

On the situation of Nigerian Christians, it is deeply disheartening and shocking to note that the genocidal footprints (State Jihadism Project) of the out-gone central Government of Retired Major General Muhammad Buhari (29th May 2015-29th May 2023) have continued to hunt down Christians and non Muslim others including their ancestral lands, dwelling houses, places of worship and learning and other properties belonging to them. Our general review has shown that the grisly and State protected and conspiratorial Jihadist attacks have left 31,700 defenseless Christians dead between June 2015 and June 2023 and 53,750 hacked to death since the 2009 Boko Haram uprising. It was also found that no fewer than 18,200 churches, 1000 traditional religious sanctuaries and 800 Synagogues/related others and 2,200 Christian schools have been burned down or wantonly destroyed-with 1100 Christian communities uprooted, 50m Christians forced out of their ancestral homes and lands into displacement and homelessness.

Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been forcefully converted to Islam while tens of thousands of non-menopausal Christian women have become victims of rape or sexual abuse or enslavement. Not less than 15m Christian IDPs/Refugees have been generated and forced into internal or regional/international border homelessness-with Benue State being the worst hit accounting for at least 2.5m Christian IDPs.

It is also shocking and alarming to note that in the last eighteen days of the out-gone June 2023 or June 12-30, at least 350 defenseless Christians and non Muslim others have been slaughtered by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and their allied Jihadist Fulani Bandits who originated from Zamfara State as “Zamfara Bandits” 2011-2013. In the latest butcheries under review, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and their allied Jihadist Fulani Bandits accounted for not less than 230 Christian deaths. Joining the list of anti Christian butchers are jihadist elements within the Nigerian military and police and their commanders in Eastern Nigeria.

They accounted for 30% of the killings by killing not less than 100 unarmed and defenseless Judeo-Christian-traditionalist Easterners particularly in Imo State within the space of last forty days or 21st May to 30th June 2023. Within the same last eighteen days of June 2023, Boko Haram and ISWAP had a fraction of the killer-entities’ responsibilities with at least 20 Christian deaths in Borno State particularly in Christian areas of the Southern Borno including Damboa and Chibok Local Government Areas.

590 Christians Killed In Benue In Jan-June, 502 In Plateau, 322 In Kaduna And 230 In Niger

It is also the finding of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law that out of the no fewer than 2,500 defenseless Christians slaughtered or hacked to death in the last six months or 1st January to 30th June 2023, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna and Niger States accounted for over 60% of the total killings; with Benue State recording the highest number of Christian deaths of 590, followed by Plateau with 502; Kaduna 322 and Niger State with 230 recorded in Christian parts of Paikoro, Shiroro, Munya, Rafi, etc. Regarding the killing of Christians in the last eighteen days of June 2023, Plateau State is the worst hit; accounting for no fewer than 120 Christian deaths. No fewer than 130 Christian deaths were recorded in other parts of the country including 30 Christian deaths in Niger, 20 in Benue, 20 in Borno, 20 in Kaduna, 10 in Ebonyi and Enugu, etc. It was earlier reported in our report of 12th June 2023 that “not less than 2,150 defenseless Christians were hacked to death between 1st January and 12th June 2023 and over 1,400 abducted; out of which no fewer than 140 or 10% of the abductees are not capable of returning to their families alive; having been most likely killed in captivity”.

No fewer than 100 churches were attacked or burned down or wantonly destroyed within the period and at least 30 priests or pastors attacked. Found also were indiscriminate attacks and burning down or wanton destruction of not less than 1000 traditional religious sanctuaries and 800 Synagogues and related others since January 2021 by deployed jihadist elements within the Nigerian Military and Policing squads.

The attacks were substantially perpetrated in Imo State and other parts of Eastern Nigeria in furtherance of the military’s atrocious operational codes of “class criminalization, false labeling and ethno-religious profiling”. Our review also showed that 150-200 defenseless Christians were abducted (in Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Enugu, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun, Kawara, Kogi, etc) in the last eighteen days of June 2023 or from 12th to 30th of June 2023.

How 120 Christians Were Slaughtered In Eighteen Days In Mangu And Riyom-Plateau State

Not less than 77 defenseless Christians were hacked to death by Jihadist Fulani herdsmen and their allied Jihadist Fulani Bandits across Plateau State between 12th and 20th of June 2023 and more than 43 others sent to their early graves between 20th and 30th of June 2023. In all, not less than 120 Christians were hacked to death in the last eighteen days of June 2023; covering 12th to 30th June 2023. Most of the butcheries had taken place in Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Riyom Counties or Local Government Areas of the State.

The statistics above were obtained from various credible media sources and eyewitness accounts. According to the reports of the Truth-Nigeria; a credible anti religious persecution media, dated 12th June 2023, quoting a lettered eyewitness who spoke in a video clip, “not less than 20 Christians were killed after Sunday Services of 11th June 2023 in Riyom County”. The mass killings took place when Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in their large numbers simultaneously attacked four Christian villages in Riyom County, killing at least 20 local Christians. The Jihadists also attacked churches and homes; forcing thousands of their dwellers to flee and scamper for safety into homelessness”. In a related report by the online media, published 24th June 2023, “88 Christian deaths have been recorded in Plateau State between 12th and 24th of June 2023”.

According to Punch Newspaper of 27th June 2023, not less than seven Christians were killed on 26th June 2023 by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in Kerang Community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. Other recorded killing of Christians by Fulani Jihadists in the State in the past eighteen days (June 12-30, 2023) are as follows: on June 16, fourteen Christians were killed in Brkin Ladi, on June 17, six were killed, on Sunday, June 18, six were killed including wife of a pastor and his two sons in Barkin Ladi, on June 19, eight were killed, on June 20, fifteen were killed in Mangu and on the same day, not less than 22 Christians including seven Christian civilian watchers were killed in Riyom.

Also, according to the Truth-Nigeria, fresh alarms have been raised that Fulani Jihadists and their allied Fulani Jihadist Bandits from Zamfara State have concluded plans to attack and uproot 18 Christian villages of Riyom and Barkin Ladi Counties of Plateau State in coming days including: “Gassa in Ropp District, Chit and Tapo in Heipang, Nding, Rawuru, Sagas, Sagasan and Nafan in Fan District; all in Barkin Ladi and Kwi, Wereng Mining Camp, Wereng, Kum and Byei, Jol, Tashek, Tanjol, Rim and Sara of Ganawuri; all in Riyom County or LGA”.

1000 Civilians Killed In Imo In 30 Months (Jan 2021-June 2023) And 1,400 Houses Razed

The findings from comprehensive review of our Special Research and Investigative Report on Imo Mass Atrocities unveiled on 21st May 2023 have shown that not less than 100 unarmed civilians have been killed by military personnel and other rogue law enforcement agents between 7th June and 30th of June 2023, a period of 24 days and additional 230 civilian homes burned down or wantonly destroyed-with thousands rendered homeless and forced to flee.

The two worst hit areas are communities in Izombe and neighboring others including Agwa Autonomous Community; all in Oguta Local Government Area as well as Amucha, Orlu, Njaba, Orsu and others under Orlu Zone of the State. While 80 of the slain 100 unarmed citizens were openly killed, 20 were killed in custody after having been abducted and disappeared. Not less than 200 unarmed citizens were arbitrarily arrested under false labeling and taken into custody where they are most likely being tortured or threatened with custodial death.

The Nigerian Military and Police authorities have also been detected trying to influence media reports by compromising a section of the media to change their atrocious conducts to “attacks carried out by Unknown Gunmen or Members of the proscribed IPOB and its ESN terrorists”. For instance, attempts have been made by the authorities of the deployed security forces to change the original media reports accusing the security forces of killing “at least 50 civilians and burning down of 170 civilian houses in Izombe and environs between 7th June and 19th June 2023”.

This is to the extent that the falsified version of the story is presently trending in the Nigerian Weekly Security Tracker of June 2023. Attached in the Reference Page of this ‘Review Report’ are the links to the original version of the report and renewed military crackdowns on communities of Amucha, Njaba, Orlu, etc which have led to indiscriminate abduction of the youths of the affected communities, shootings and killings and burning down or razing of ancestral homes.

Therefore, “in the past 30 months or January 2021 to 30th June 2023 under Hope Uzodinma as Imo Governor, a total of 1000 civilians have been killed, 3,700 arbitrarily arrested and 320 disappeared without traces. Not less than 1,400 civilian houses have also been burned down or wantonly destroyed and their 72,000 occupants (average of 30 persons per dwelling ancestral house) forced into homelessness and displacement during which at least 600,000 members of the defenseless general population were forced to flee to avoid being class-criminalized, falsely profiled, abducted or arbitrarily arrested and detained without trial or killed and false-labeled. Seven of the eight armed non state actors operating in Imo State have killed at least 730 and abducted 940 others since then. Intersociety has severally investigated and found that victims of the Muslim-controlled security forces atrocities in Imo State are targeted on the grounds of their ethnicity, religion and identities.

Note: References to the reports above are provided in the links listed below the signature page and for detailed seminal account of the patterns and trends of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen’s ongoing anti Christian butcheries across African Continent, please NO 12 of the enclosed links for research article by Nwankwo Nwaezeigwe, PhD

Signed

For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

· Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist-Researcher), Board Chair

· Chinwe Umeche Esquire, Head, Democracy and Good Governance

· Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esquire, Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

· Chidinma Udegbunam, Esquire, Head of Publicity

· Ndidiamaka Catherine Bernard Esquire, Head, Int’l Justice and Human Rights

· Ositadinma Agu, Head, Int’l Contacts and Mobilization

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