A civil society organisation (CSO), Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned what it described as escalating politically motivated violence, intimidation and suppression of opposition activities in Ideato North and Ideato South Local Government Areas of Imo State, alleging the involvement of state-backed actors.
This was contained in a statement, signed by Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA, and released on Wednesday under the title, “Imo Under Siege: HURIWA Condemns State-Enabled Armed Attacks In Ideato Against Lawmaker, Demands Urgent Federal Intervention.”
In the statement, HURIWA expressed “grave alarm and unequivocal condemnation over the escalating wave of politically motivated violence, armed attack, intimidation, and unlawful suppression of opposition activities in Ideato North and Ideato South Local Government Areas of Imo State by alleged state govt with help of the police and soldiers.”
The group said the situation in the state had gone beyond ordinary political disagreements.
“What is unfolding in Imo State is not merely a political disagreement—it is a dangerous descent into lawlessness, where democratic freedoms are being systematically eroded through force, fear, and impunity,” the statement read.
HURIWA called on Governor Hope Uzodinma to “immediately rise to the constitutional responsibilities of his office by guaranteeing the safety, rights, and freedoms of all citizens, regardless of political affiliation.”
“The Governor must not preside over a system where dissent is treated as a crime and opposition voices are violently silenced,” it added.
The rights group further alleged that supporters of a political movement linked to a federal lawmaker, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, had faced repeated attacks and intimidation.
“We are deeply troubled by credible and consistent reports indicating that supporters of a rising political formation in Ideato North—associated with Honourable Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a sitting member of the House of Representatives—have been subjected to repeated violent attacks, harassment, and intimidation allegedly perpetrated by armed individuals operating under the guise of vigilantes,” the statement said.
According to HURIWA, there were also reports of attempts to disrupt lawful political gatherings through the use of armed thugs.
“Particularly disturbing are reports of attempts to sabotage lawful political gatherings, including the alleged deployment of armed thugs to seize venues, disrupt events, and even destroy property belonging to citizens engaged in constitutionally protected political activities,” it stated.
The organisation stressed that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of association, peaceful assembly and participation in governance.
“These rights are not privileges granted at the discretion of any government—they are fundamental, inalienable, and enforceable,” HURIWA said.
The group also declared that, “Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, from whom government derives all its powers and legitimacy.”
It warned that any attempt by state or non-state actors to obstruct citizens from exercising their democratic rights was “null, void, unconstitutional, and illegal.”
HURIWA further stated that the Imo State Government could not “abdicate responsibility or feign ignorance,” insisting that the governor, as chief security officer of the state, bears responsibility for any breakdown of law and order.
“Should these acts of violence persist, the Government of Imo State will be held accountable—both nationally and internationally—for enabling an environment where democratic rights are trampled upon with impunity,” the statement added.
The group also referenced allegations made by Amnesty International concerning the operations of the “Tiger Base,” the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Owerri.
According to HURIWA, the Amnesty report alleged “prolonged arbitrary detention without trial, systematic torture and inhumane treatment, extortion and exploitation of detainees, enforced disappearances, separation of children from their mothers without documentation, and detention in overcrowded, unsanitary, and life-threatening conditions.”
The organisation described the alleged practices as “a direct violation of Nigeria’s Constitution, the Anti-Torture Act of 2017, and binding international human rights obligations.”
HURIWA demanded “an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into these allegations, with a view to prosecuting all culpable officers and dismantling any structure that enables such atrocities.”
The group also called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, and the Minister of Defence to “act swiftly and decisively to safeguard lives, protect property, and ensure that the constitutional rights of all Nigerians—especially those in Imo State—are upheld without compromise.”
It warned that “Nigeria must not be allowed to slide into a state where political competition is replaced with coercion, and where the rule of law is subordinated to the rule of might.”
Among its demands, HURIWA called for “an immediate cessation of all violent attacks and intimidation against opposition members,” the withdrawal of “all armed thugs and unlawful vigilante groups from political spaces,” protection of lawful political gatherings, prosecution of those involved in violence and arson, and “a full-scale investigation into human rights abuses at ‘Tiger Base.’”
“The people of Imo State—and indeed all Nigerians—must not be denied their democratic rights by any individual or authority,” the group stated.
It concluded with the declaration, “History will not be kind to those who choose repression over justice, or violence over democracy. Enough is Enough.”
