By Timothy Nwobodo
August 18, 2025
International human rights organisation, Amnesty International Nigeria, has renewed calls for answers over the disappearance of three residents of Enugu State who were arrested by security operatives in 2021 and have not been seen since.
The organisation named the victims as Ikechukwu Henry, a native of Orlu in Imo State, and Mr. and Mrs. Sunday Ifedi, an Enugu-based couple from Ezeagu Local Government Area.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Amnesty said Henry was taken away by soldiers of the Nigerian Army on August 23, 2021, at about 2:00 a.m. from his home in Gariki, Enugu. Since then, his whereabouts remain unknown.
“@HQNigerianArmy: Where is Ikechukwu Henry from Orlu in Imo State who was taken by soldiers on 23 August 2021 at about 2:00 a.m. from his residence at Gariki Enugu? The Hilux vehicle that took him drove off to the Nigerian Army 82 Division Enugu. Since then nothing has been heard about him,” the group queried.
Amnesty also challenged the Department of State Services (DSS) to account for the Ifedis, who were arrested on November 23, 2021, at their home in Enugu.
“@OfficialDSSNG: Where are Mr. Sunday Ifedi and Mrs. Calista Ifedi, a couple from Ezeagu community in Enugu State, your operatives took from their home in Enugu on 23 November 2021?” Amnesty posted.
Pattern of Disappearances
The organisation linked the cases to a broader trend of abuses in Nigeria’s South-East. According to its findings, since March 2011, thousands have faced torture, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances in the region—often linked to security crackdowns on pro-Biafra sympathisers.
The report estimated that about 1,200 people were extrajudicially killed, while nearly 7,000 young men and boys have died in military custody. Amnesty said its findings were drawn from leaked military documents, interviews with hundreds of witnesses, and victims’ families. It accused commanders of either sanctioning the abuses or failing to stop them.
Military Denies Allegations
However, the Nigerian military has dismissed Amnesty’s claims. A statement by its spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, described the report as an attempt to “undermine the army’s efforts against terrorism.”
“The rights group appears to have an agenda to undermine the army’s resolve to combat terrorism in the country,” Olukolade said, while assuring that the military remains committed to fighting Boko Haram and other threats to national security.
Despite these denials, Amnesty insists that the government owes the families of the disappeared answers, stressing that transparency and accountability are crucial to ending abuses and rebuilding public trust.