Human Rights groups, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) and Ekwenche Research Institute based in the United States have alleged that about 6,000 families in the southeast are still searching for their loved ones who reportedly disappeared in the custody of security agencies in Nigeria since 2021.

The groups also alleged that the victims were sons and daughters of productive age brackets who went missing in the hands of security personnel, adding that their continued disappearances had created fear among families and contributed to the reluctance by some parents in Igboland to allow their children to enlist in the armed forces of Nigeria.

They alleged that their whereabouts had remained unknown; stressing that about 70 percent of the victims went missing in the hands of the personnel from where they were “abducted and bundled to different military dungeons and other secret detention facilities”.

“It is in totality of the above that tens of thousands of Igbo land southeast families withdraw from giving their beloved sons and daughters of military recruitments age and academic and professional qualifications permission to be enlisted into the Nigerians Armed Forces”, they added.

These were contained in a report of a recent investigation conducted by the groups released in Enugu on Sunday, where they also raised concerns about rural Igbo communities presently facing Jihadist herdsmen threats.

The report was signed by the head of Intersociety Nigeria, Emeka Umeagbalasi; its head, Department of Campaign and Publicity, Chidinma Udegbunam; head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Obianuju Igboeli; President, Ekwenche Research Institute, USA, Prof Justin Akujieze and Secretary, Ekwenche Research institute, Luke Nwannunu.

They stated that no fewer than 20 rural Igboland communities across Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States are currently threatened by Jihadists attackers, even as it expressed concerns that most crimes committed in the southeast region are being “muddled, twisted and solely heaped” on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Giving some details about Igbo communities under terror threats, it alleged that communities in Ezeagu, Isiuzo, Uzo uwani and Nkanu East local governments in Enugu state are worst hit.

It said: ” In Ezeagu, not less than ten out of about 14 communities are ravaged by Jihadist Fulani herdsmen threats and attacks since 2010, rising to an apogee since 2016.

“Likewise, in Isiuzo where several communities and villages including Eha-Amufu and Mgbuji have been turned into ghost towns by Jihadist Fulani herdsmen with most shocking been burning or destruction of 14 churches including 12 Anglican and 2 Catholic churches and killing of atleast 117 of their worshippers, out of which at least 8 corpses of the worshippers were buried in one church compound alone”

The groups stated that in Uzo Uwani, that no fewer than sixteen communities have been sacked and turned into ghost towns by the activities of the Jihadist herdsmen.

The groups called for independent international investigations into alleged human rights violations in the region, adding that future southeast governments should investigate alleged mass adductions, disappearances and extra judicial killings since 2015 in the region.

The report said that about 299 Nigerian Christians within the month of July 2026, adding that 213 others were abducted within the period.