The Amasiri community in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has formally petitioned international and national human rights organizations, accusing Governor Francis Nwifuru of human rights violations, abuse of power, and crimes against humanity. The action follows a renewed boundary dispute with the Oso community of Edda.
Dated February 9, 2026, the petition—filed by lawyer Idam Maduabuchi—was addressed to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Amnesty International Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission, the Chief of Defence Staff, the National Assembly, and the National Security Adviser.
The Amasiri community alleges that the governor authorized a military operation in their area, during which soldiers reportedly carried out extrajudicial killings, destroyed homes, looted property, confiscated ancestral artefacts, and closed schools—preventing children from registering for or taking national examinations. The petition described the measures as collective punishment executed without investigation or due process.
The crisis, the community stated, originates from a long-standing boundary dispute with the Oso community, which has triggered cycles of retaliation spanning generations. While reports indicate that four people were allegedly killed in Oso, the Amasiri community denies involvement and claims it previously submitted multiple petitions to security agencies and the state government over attacks on its residents.
The petition references the March 2025 killing of a retired Nigerian Army warrant officer and his wife on their farmland, an incident Amasiri attributes to members of the Oso community. It also noted a civil case filed to resolve the disputed boundary, later withdrawn after Governor Nwifuru reportedly promised to personally settle the matter.
Following recent complaints from Oso regarding alleged killings, the petition claims the governor retaliated by removing government appointees from Amasiri—including traditional rulers—closing schools, and blocking children from registering for national exams. Military operations allegedly intensified, with ancestral homes (known as Ulogo) destroyed, sacred artefacts seized, and property worth billions of naira damaged.
The petition emphasizes that criminal responsibility is individual, not collective, and that no law permits punishing civilians for unproven crimes. It also highlights a directive allegedly requiring the community to recover decapitated heads of Oso victims within 72 hours or face further military action—described as potentially causing grave and irreversible harm.
The petitioner urged authorities to restore access to education, withdraw military personnel, and carry out an impartial investigation to hold accountable those responsible for the Oso killings. The petition further requested that the ICC investigate violations under Articles 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute and called on the US, UK, EU, and Canada to consider visa restrictions against Governor Nwifuru.
When contacted for comment, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Ikeuwa Omebeh, initially promised a response but later cited prior commitments and was unavailable.
