"The Nigerian security forces, led by the military, embarked on a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence resulting in the deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters in the south east of the country," the Amnesty International said in a statement announcing the results of a year-long investigation.
The organization analyzed media data and eye witness accounts related to pro-Biafra demonstrations between August 2015 and August 2016, finding evidence of extrajudicial executions when the Nigerian government deployed the military against protesters.
During this year's Biafra Remembrance Day, marked on May 30 to commemorate the victims of the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War between Nigeria and breakaway Biafra, repressions claimed the lives of at least 60 people, according to the investigation.
IPOB advocates for recession of Biafra to allow for the restoration of the sovereignty of the indigenous Igbo people.
The Republic of Biafra existed between 1967 and 1970 and was inhabited mostly by the Igbo people. The republic was not recognized by the international community. The territory was reintegrated into Nigeria after the Civil War.
