By Blessing Okola
The Amasiri Clan has accused security forces of subjecting its people to alleged military invasion and serious human rights abuses in Ebonyi State, saying the actions have left residents traumatised, livelihoods destroyed, and communities under siege.
It also accused the governor of the state, Francis Nwiaifiru of political witchhunt over what it has alleged as dissatisfacton over zero support during past elections.
The group demanded the immediate withdrawal of military forces from Amasiri, an independent investigation into alleged killings, arrests and property destruction, restoration of schools, markets and economic activities, reversal of collective sanctions and equal protection under the law.
Addressing the international media on Thursday in Abuja, Omagha Idam, former Assistant Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, speaking on behalf of the Amasiri Clan, said the situation escalated from an uninvestigated allegation into what he called a full-scale military invasion marked by collective punishment, political repression, economic shutdown and grave violations of fundamental human rights.
Amasiri Clan, which comprises three autonomous communities and is the northernmost community in Afikpo Local Government Area (formerly Afikpo North LGA), described itself as a law-abiding farming population now facing militarisation, displacement and what it termed “institutional erasure.”
According to the group, Nigerian armed forces carried out what it described as an unprovoked and disproportionate operation in the area, resulting in mass arrests of unarmed men and youths, destruction of homes, prolonged gunfire, forced displacement of villages and reported loss of lives.
The clan stressed that Amasiri is a civilian farming community and not a conflict zone.
The group further alleged that directives attributed to the Ebonyi State Government led to the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools in Amasiri, as well as markets, churches, shops and other social activities. Farming, trading and worship were reportedly halted, creating widespread hardship.
Amasiri indigenes residing in Abakaliki were allegedly ordered to vacate the city, while civil servants of Amasiri origin were said to have received verbal termination notices. Students of Amasiri origin in tertiary institutions in Abakaliki were also reportedly asked to identify themselves.
In addition, the clan claimed that legislative actions removed Amasiri from the list of development centres, detached it from Afikpo LGA and placed it under a joint administrative arrangement involving four local government areas. It also alleged that the governor publicly stated that “within three weeks, there will be nobody in the community.”
The Amasiri Clan said the actions were justified by an unverified allegation linking the community to a murder in Oso community, Edda Local Government Area. While condemning the killing and sympathising with the affected family, the clan rejected what it described as collective blame without investigation, insisting that no suspects were identified and no fair hearing was granted before punitive measures were imposed on the entire population, including women, children and the elderly.
Providing background, the group recalled longstanding boundary issues between Amasiri and Oso communities, noting that a government White Paper gazetted in 2003 resolved the dispute and that both parties reaffirmed commitment to its implementation in 2023. It added that a peace agreement was signed in December 2025 to allow boundary demarcation, but alleged that implementation was repeatedly stalled by government ministries despite Amasiri’s compliance.
The clan also alleged that on 30 January 2026, the military carried out mass arrests of civilians, while the governor dissolved the political and traditional leadership of Amasiri, including traditional rulers, town union executives, village heads and government appointees, without investigation or court order. It said this left the community politically and administratively defenceless.
Amasiri leaders further claimed that several facts contradict the allegations against the community, including that it was observing sacred burial rites during the period of the alleged incident, when movement and external engagements are culturally restricted.
They also accused authorities of selective silence over previous attacks on Amasiri indigenes, including alleged abductions and killings along the Afikpo–Okigwe highway and the abduction of farmers and other residents, which they said were reported without resulting arrests or prosecutions.
The group alleged political bias, citing statements attributed to the governor expressing dissatisfaction with Amasiri and Afikpo LGA over electoral support. It argued that actions taken against the community violate constitutional provisions, including collective punishment, denial of education, forced identification based on origin and removal from local government administration.
The clan further asserted historical ownership of the disputed Okporo-Ụjo land, describing Oso settlers as former tenants, and rejected what it called attempts to dispossess Amasiri of ancestral land.
The clan also alleged discriminatory actions affecting access to education, including claims that Amasiri pupils were barred from registering for the 2026 Common Entrance examination and that students were subjected to additional identification requirements.
“The people of Amasiri are not enemies of the state,” Idam said, adding that the community is entitled to life, dignity, security, justice and historical truth, while expressing concern that some community leaders remain in detention.
In its appeal, the Amasiri Clan called on the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the commandant of Nkwegu Military Cantonment, the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International and the international community to intervene.
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