Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian military of killing not less than 17 unharmed members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, during a protest in May 2016.
Members of the group had planned a march to celebrate heroes of the Biafran War.
Amnesty said it based its report on details from eyewitnesses, morgues and hospitals that claimed Nigerian soldiers opened fire on members of the group in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The human rights group explained that the killings took place during a security operation in the early hours of the morning, shortly before the march when the military raided homes and a church where IPOB members slept.
But the Nigerian Army has rubbished the allegations, which it called unfounded and bias.
According to the Army in a statement, the troops had to “resort to self defense” after IPOB members attacked security agencies with “firearms” and various weapons including dynamite.
The Army claimed only five members of IPOB were killed, eight wounded while nine were arrested.
“These efforts were in order to de-escalate the palpable tension as well as ward off the apparent threats to lives and property in the general area,” it said.
However, Amnesty said its investigation showed at least 17 people were killed and nearly 50 injured, adding that “the real number is likely to be higher”.
Amnesty International urged the Nigerian government to investigate the incident, noting that the information it gathered “indicates that the deaths of supporters and members of IPOB was the consequence of excessive and unnecessary use of force.”
