From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) and Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) have said that no fewer than 10 civilian houses were completely burnt down, with other belongings destroyed during the recent Army operation in Imezi-Owa community, in Ezeagu local government area of Enugu State.

The groups added that the whereabouts of three young men allegedly arrested by soldiers during the operation have remained unknown since May 5 this year, when the incident took place.

They gave the names of the young men as Ndubuisi Chikelu, Thank God Chikelu and Chidi Nosike, adding that 15-year-old Chisom Okafor, whose aged grandmother was allegedly trapped inside one of the houses set ablaze by the Army personnel, was later found to have been dumped at the Police station in Enugu, for reportedly being an IPOB/ESN informant.

Given the report of her investigation on the unfortunate incident that took place on May 5 and 6, the groups alleged that the Army invasion may have happened at the instigation of the leaders of the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, who had since 2010 become a nightmare and an existential threat to the indigenes of most of the 14 autonomous communities across the Ezeagu Local Government Area. The investigation was conducted by a six-man team set up by the organisations.

The report signed by the head of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi and Coordinator of CLO, Southeast, Aloysius Attah and others, released in Enugu on Tuesday, said that the Army invasion also forced hundreds of defenceless indigenous youths in the area in their 20s and 30s, to flee their family homes and lawful occupations to avoid being “killed or disappeared under the pretext that they are IPOB/ESN informants or collaborators”.

The report said the unfortunate development started with an invitation to a meeting of the Ezeagu Unit of the State Forest Guards by the Nigerian Army, Enugu.

“The local vigilantes arrived at the venue of the meeting, and were instantly disarmed by the military and accused of “collaborating with ESN”. The disarmed local vigilantes were later forced to lead the soldiers into the forest where “the ESN camp is located” and on getting closer, the soldiers reportedly laid ambush, took their enemies unaware and opened fire, destroying their camp- leading to many of the armed non-state actors taking cover”, it said

It added that the shooting incident took place inside the Ajali River Forest Valley and surrounding farmlands, more than two kilometres away from communal residential areas, stressing that in the melee that followed, three Army personnel were wounded in a crossfire, forcing them to retreat, reinforce and return to the scene at about 2:30 pm on the same day.

The report added that when the Army reinforced, “instead of heading back to the scene (Ajali River Forest Valley), they invaded four residential areas of Imezi-Owa’s Akwuke-Umudim, Abonuzu, Eziama and Eziowa villages and launched a war-grade attack including wantonly burning and destroying civilian houses”.

It noted that six of the residential houses burnt belonged to Ezeagu Civil Servants, whose names were given as Chukwuka Uwakwe, Ifeanyi Uwakwe, Ezeaka Uwakwe, Dominic Okafor, Onyema Okafor and Okenna Okafor.

The groups urged the Nigerian Army to “de-criminalise its operations in the South-East and desist from IPOB/ESN-phobia”, stressing that such must include putting an end to hate and discriminatory soldiering and law enforcement and operations, as well as mass criminalisation.

It called for the unconditional release alive and in good health conditions of Chisom Okafor, Ndubuisi Chikelu, Thank God Chikelu and Chidi Nosike and others likely to have been arrested since May 6, 2026

The groups urged Enugu State to liaise with the innocent families of the burnt houses for purposes of auditing and replacing them, in addition to payment of adequate compensation and prevention of further occurrences.

It threatened that a failure “will likely leave the affected families, friends and well-wishers with no other option than to sue the Army’s 82 Division and Government of Enugu State for damages incurred, payment of adequate compensations and tendering of unreserved public apologies”.