Deadly Attack in Southeast Nigeria Leaves 30 Dead, Amnesty International Reports

At least 30 individuals lost their lives in a violent assault on commuters in southeastern Nigeria’s Imo State, according to a report released by Amnesty International.

The rights organization stated on Friday that the attack occurred along the Okigwe-Owerri highway on Thursday, with over 20 vehicles, including commercial buses and trucks, set ablaze during the incident.

Amnesty suspects that the assailants may be affiliated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist movement banned by the Nigerian government.

“The brutality of this attack reflects a blatant disregard for human life,” Amnesty wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Gunmen blocked key roads and violently targeted civilians in Okigwe and the Umuna area of Onuimo Local Government Area, acting with shocking impunity.”

The organization urged Nigerian authorities to launch a swift and transparent investigation, stressing that international law mandates governments to address unlawful killings and bring those responsible to justice.

Imo State police spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the attack took place early Thursday morning but refrained from confirming the number of casualties. Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Okoye said that police forces killed one of the attackers during the confrontation.

According to a police statement, the gunmen, divided into three groups, launched their assault around 4:00 a.m. GMT, firing randomly as they blocked the highway.

Authorities reported that a large-scale manhunt is currently underway, with security operatives conducting searches in the surrounding forested areas believed to be hideouts for the attackers.

Nigeria’s Premium Times also reported that Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, led a coordinated response involving personnel from the Nigerian Army, Police Force, and State Security Service.

The IPOB has long called for the secession of southeastern Nigeria, a region predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group. Although declared illegal by the Nigerian government, the group has continued to push for an independent state.

This call for independence traces back to the Biafran War in the late 1960s, a devastating conflict that claimed over a million lives and left lasting divisions within the country.