The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), a leading human rights and environmental justice organisation, has condemned the brutal killing of 13 Ebonyi indigenes in Ogboji Community, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The Executive Director of FENRAD, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, said that the organization was saddened and outraged by this gruesome act, which represents a gross violation of the victims’ right to life, dignity, and safety as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory.
He added: “The victims, reported to be traders and local labourers on legitimate business in Anambra State, were heinously attacked and killed under circumstances that remain deeply troubling and suspicious. We join the bereaved families, the government and people of Ebonyi State, and all well-meaning Nigerians in mourning this terrible loss.”
FENRAD calls on the Inspector General of Police, the Director of State Security Services, and other relevant law enforcement authorities to launch a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the killings and bring all perpetrators to justice without delay.
The group also urged the Governors of Anambra and Ebonyi States to jointly set up an independent judicial panel of inquiry to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of this violence and recommend appropriate actions.
Nwafor added: “The families of the deceased deserve justice and reparations. FENRAD calls on the federal and Anambra State governments to provide adequate compensation and psychological support to the affected families.
“We call for proactive peacebuilding and conflict prevention initiatives in border communities, especially in areas prone to communal tension and violence. Security presence must be enhanced while respecting human rights and community relations.
Prosecution, Not Rhetoric: While condolence messages are appreciated, what Nigerians demand is accountability. Those responsible for this atrocity must be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“ Government agencies, civil society, and community leaders should collaborate to establish early warning and rapid response systems in border communities to detect and prevent violent incidents before they escalate and launch inter-community dialogue and reconciliation forums between Ebonyi and Anambra border communities to rebuild trust, promote peaceful coexistence, and address underlying tensions or land disputes fueling violence.”
FENRAD also wants the federal government to deploy well-trained, impartial security operatives-such as mobile police or civil defense corps-to flashpoints—ensuring presence without bias to any community involved, and also stated that the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly of both Ebonyi and Anambra should institute joint oversight investigations or public hearings to expose failures in security intelligence and community protection.
“The NHRC should immediately undertake a fact-finding mission to the affected area and publish a public report with recommendations for justice and compensation, create a special fund under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management or Anambra State Government to support the families of the victims with livelihood assistance, psychosocial care, and educational support for children of the deceased and encourage responsible media coverage of the incident to ensure continued public attention and pressure on authorities, while avoiding inciting rhetoric that could deepen inter-communal tensions.”
Nwafor stated this tragedy must not be allowed to repeat, adding that the killings of innocent citizens, wherever and whenever they occur, must be met with swift justice.
“Nigeria must rise above ethno-political sentiments and protect every citizen equally. FENRAD will continue to monitor developments and will not hesitate to seek regional and international redress mechanisms if justice is delayed or denied,” Nwafor said.
