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A civil rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has blamed declining interest among South-East youths in joining Nigeria’s military and police on what it describes as long standing human rights abuses and “atrocity policies” since 2015.
In a statement issued in Onitsha, the group said many parents in the region now discourage their children from enlisting due to fears of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and alleged discrimination within security agencies.
The claims follow concerns reportedly raised by the Nigerian Army over low enlistment figures from the South-East, with the group citing figures suggesting that only a small fraction of national recruitment slots are filled by candidates from the region.
Intersociety alleged that multiple incidents—including operations linked to separatist agitations and security crackdowns—have eroded public trust. It referenced past reports by rights groups such as Amnesty International, which have also documented allegations of excessive use of force by security personnel.
The statement further pointed to unresolved cases of violence tied to insurgency in northern Nigeria involving groups like Boko Haram, arguing that perceived disparities in accountability and treatment have contributed to distrust.
Among the key issues raised are: alleged extrajudicial killings and disappearances in the South-East, claims of property destruction during security operations, concerns over ethnic and religious profiling within security structures and lack of investigation or prosecution in reported abuse cases.
The group argued that unless these concerns are addressed through transparent investigations and reforms, public confidence in Nigeria’s security institutions will remain low in the region
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