Gunmen kill 30 during ‘vicious’ attack in southeast Nigeria: Rights group

Attack successful Imo State ‘shows callous disregard for the sanctity of life’, rights radical Amnesty International says.

At slightest 30 radical were killed erstwhile gunmen attacked travellers successful Nigeria’s southeastern Imo State, according to Amnesty International.

The quality rights NGO reported connected Friday that much than 20 commuter vehicles and trucks were acceptable ablaze during a “vicious attack” on the Okigwe-Owerri roadworthy the time before.

The attackers are suspected of being members of the banned separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Amnesty said.

“​​The onslaught … shows callous disregard for the sanctity of life. The gunmen blocked Okigwe-Owerri road and areas of Umuna successful Onuimo LGA unleashed unit successful an utter amusement of impunity,” Amnesty wrote connected X.

“The Nigerian authorities indispensable instantly and transparently analyse this onslaught and guarantee that the existent perpetrators are brought to justice. International instrumentality requires the Nigerian authorities to promptly analyse unlawful killings to bring perpetrators to justice,” it added.

Amnesty International powerfully condemns the vicious onslaught connected travelers yesterday 8 May 2025, on Okigwe-Owerri Road successful Imo State, sidesplitting astatine slightest 30 radical and burning implicit 20 commuter vehicles and trucks.

— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) May 9, 2025

Imo constabulary spokesperson, Henry Okoye, confirmed that the onslaught took spot successful the aboriginal hours of Thursday, but declined to remark connected the decease toll.

On Friday, Okoye told the Reuters quality bureau that 1 of the assailants had been killed by the police.

According to a constabulary statement, the gunmen, operating successful 3 groups, blocked the road astatine 04:00 GMT and changeable sporadically.

“A full-scale hunt and cordon cognition is presently underway, with information operatives combing adjacent forests and surrounding areas wherever the suspects are believed to beryllium hiding,” the constabulary said.

Nigeria’s Premium Times besides reported that the constabulary commissioner of Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, led a associated tactical squad of information operatives to the scene.

According to Danjuma, the associated information squad comprised unit from Nigeria’s army, the police, and the State Security Service.

The IPOB, which the Nigerian authorities has classed arsenic an outlawed organisation, has been campaigning for the secession of southeastern Nigeria, wherever the bulk of radical beryllium to the Igbo taste group.

Following the precocious 1960s civilian warfare that engulfed the Biafra region, sidesplitting much than 1 cardinal people, separatist groups person continued to propulsion for an autarkic authorities from the southeast and successful immoderate parts of the southbound of Nigeria.