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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Amnesty International has urged the Nigerian federal government to conduct a transparent investigation into the 2016 military crackdown on pro-Biafra supporters in Onitsha, which killed at least 60 people.
In a statement ahead of Biafra Remembrance Day, the human rights organisation demanded accountability for the violence.
“The Nigerian authorities must open a transparent and effective investigation of the Onitsha massacre of 30 May 2016, when security forces violently cracked down on peaceful gatherings,” Amnesty stated. It described the government’s nine-year inaction as unacceptable, noting, “Nine years is too long for victims and their families to keep waiting for justice.”
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Amnesty reported that the deadliest incident occurred on Biafra Remembrance Day, May 30, 2016, when around 1,000 Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members and supporters gathered in Onitsha, Anambra State. Security forces raided homes and a church where IPOB members were sleeping the night before and opened fire at multiple locations the next day. “On Remembrance Day itself, the security forces shot people in several locations,” the statement said.
While the exact death toll is unclear, Amnesty estimated, “At least 60 people were killed and 70 injured in these two days: 30–31 May 2016. The real number is likely to be higher.” The organisation stressed that by May 30, 2025, nine years will have passed without justice. “Opening an investigation that meets international standards is an obligation that the Nigerian government must uphold,” it added.
