Herders Attacks: Group Plans Visa Ban Campaign Against 4 Southeast Govs Over Alleged Complicity

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Saturday, April 5th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Human rights organization, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety), has lashed out on four South East governor’s over what it described as “their silence of the graveyard, and alleged conspiracy in the secret and unchecked attacks in their various communities by suspected Fulani Herdsmen.

It said, the “increasing secret and unchecked jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks in various communities across their States” has become unbearable.

It named the accused governors to include, Dr. Peter Mbah of Enugu, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra, Senator Hope Uzodima of Imo and Hon. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state.

The research and investigative advocacy voice in good and inclusive governance in Nigeria, stated this in a 35 pages special report titled: “the Persecution-Of-Christians-And-Traditional-Worshippers-Sweeping-the-South-East which it made available to newsmen on Thursday.

It posited that “the silence of the graveyard” or conspiracy of silence and inaction maintained by their Governments in regard to increasing secret and unchecked jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks in various communities across their States over the years particularly since 2015/16; with a spike since 2020/21 is worrisome.

“To the extent that today, their States are saturated by alleged jihadist activities of Fulani Herdsmen and allied others in many of their 78 Local Government Areas put together.

According to the group, the localities are “widely and strongly believed to be facing threats of attack or undergoing secret and open attacks targeted at defenseless Trado-Judeo-Christians of their States hinterlands.

The document was signed by Board Chairman of InterSociety, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, a Criminologist and Conflict, Peace Studies’ Scholar, Barrister Chinwe Umeche, Human Rights Lawyer/Head, Democracy and Good Governance in the organization.

Others who appended their signatures in the report included, Barrister Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Human Rights Lawyer/Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, InterSociety, Engineer Ekene Bede Umeagu Head, Religious Freedom and Human Rights of the group.

The group, also noted that the “persecution of Christians and traditional Worshippers is enveloping Southeast Nigeria: Enugu, Anambra, Imo and Ebonyi Govs Indicted For Complicity and Complacency in religious Violence and attacks on International Freedom Of Religion or belief, saying the governor’s risk visa ban and International isolation Campaigns

It alleged that over 40 traditional worshippers are languishing untried in illegal detention in Anambra for over 60 days, adding that silence and refusal to act aided over 20,300 Igbo-Christian deaths since 2015 in Nigeria’s South-East

In the executive Summary of the report, InterSociety, explained the reason why the Indictment and planned Visa Ban Campaigns against the said governor’s became necessary.

“The report, indicted four serving Governors in the South-East of Nigeria: Peter Mbah of Enugu, Charles Soludo of Anambra State, Francis Nwaifuru of Ebonyi State and Hope Uzodinma of Imo State other than Gov Alex Otti of Abia State who is temporarily exempted.

“The four Govs are widely accused and fingered to have been conspiring with the Nigerian Government and external others in threatening and undermining present and future territorial, citizen and property security and safety of their States and defenseless citizens.

“The totality of the above has endangered lives and properties and threatened their defenseless peoples’ fundamental human rights to ethnic and religious identities, including rights to be born, develop and live in a secured and protected environment.

“In addition to marking their present Governments out as those promoting religious violence and attacks on international freedom of religion or worship or belief, contrary to Sections 38 and 10 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and globalized international human rights on freedom of religion or worship.

“It must also be pointed out that many jihadist activities of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and allied others in Igbo Land States of Anambra, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi under their gubernatorial watch are either rarely reported or covered and suppressed or censored under the watch”

“Several reports also abound exposing indiscriminate third-party land purchases for the Jihadists across the South-East by delegated persons or State/Federal Government remotely linked middle persons including top Government officials or appointees or others close to their governments.

“The indictment of the four Governors is inclusive of the past and serving “Homeland Security Commissioners” and “Special Advisers on Security” or those in charge of “Community Security, Vigilante and Border Conflict Resolution Matters”; appointed since assumption of office by the four indicted Govs.

“It is also very important to clarify that our soon-to-be organized visa ban and international isolation campaigns against the four indicted Govs will be extended to members of their nuclear families (wives, children and wards).

“Consequently, the InterSociety, will soon reach out to her international partners for visa ban and international isolation campaigns against the four indicted Govs, targeting to have them banned from traveling to Democratic and Religious Freedom Respecter Countries of the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union and Canada and their allies particularly those compliant to the dictates of democracy, rule of law and religious freedom.

“We also make bold to say that those who aid, abet, promote, fund and perpetrate international religious freedom abuses and violations in Nigeria or any part thereof must no longer be allowed any breathing space no matter their pretenses and camouflages.

“It was also our investigative finding that violators of religious freedom in Nigeria are no longer restricted to armed and unarmed radical Islamists domiciled in the quarters of state and non-state actors including their aides.

Others are, “sponsors and instigators found to be complicit, aiders and abettors of the raging “Nigerian Christian Genocide” and allied egregious attacks on lives and properties of the country’s defenseless Christians and defenseless members of the religious minorities including members of the Traditional African Religions and the Organization of the African Instituted Churches are many Christian leaders and Christian politicians.

Others include, “political office holders bearing Christian names. There have been several reports indicting and linking the four serving Govs of Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo States to brutal attacks and suppression of “the Fundamental Human Rights” of the citizens to practice African Traditional Medicines (progenitors of modern medicines and practices) and African Traditional Religions (progenitors and forefathers of Christianity in Igbo Land).

“It is also very important to inform that the four indicted Govs as “Chief Security, Executive and Finance Officers” of their States-with more than 66 constitutional powers and duties outlined in the Concurrent Legislative List and other provisions of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, are found to have substantially failed to ensure security and safety of their territories and those of their own people and their properties.

“Particularly by failing to have them secured from the hands of state actors and conspiratorial others’ clandestinely protected Islamic Jihadists using cattle rearing and ranching (Nomadic Jihadism) and other disguises as a pretext.

“These, the four indicted Govs are found to have done by way of inaction, complicity and silence of the graveyard and rapacious incompetence; thereby putting their own people and their properties at high risk of insecurity and unsafety including wanton and indiscriminate destruction of their lives and properties.

“South-East is Nigeria’s largest Catholics and second largest Christian Region after South-South.

“Under the watch of the four indicted South-East Govs, egregious religious violence and attacks on defenseless citizens of their respective States and their moveable and immoveable properties have ballooned and risen to an apogee since 2015.

“Worsened by their inaction and gross incompetence in the management of crossover Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and allied others’ attacks from neighboring States including Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom.

“The Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks on Christians and their properties in the past decade or since 2015 in Benue State; a South-East close door neighbor, including wanton loss of lives, dwelling houses, churches and farmlands, for instance, have uprooted almost half of the State’s Christian population of estimated 6m and generated over 3m Christians and forced them the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps and sacked over 200 of their communities and villages, with tens of hectares of indigenous Christian lands across the State seized or annexed.

“Governor Charles Soludo and his Government, having failed a litmus test of being responsible, human rights and freedom of religion or worship respecter Government, has lost legal and moral grounds to continue to detain without investigation, charge and trial of the over 40 detained traditional worshippers held illegally in an illegal detention facility (State Militias’ Lion House at Awka) for more than 60 days.

“The above clearly exceeded the constitutionally prescribed 24-48hrs or maximum of 60 days if arrested by police or secret service and detained in any of their custodies for offenses bordering on capital punishments.

“Especially when such detention is for purpose of continuation and conclusion of criminal investigations; more so when Governors in Nigeria including Gov Charles Soludo of Anambra State are constitutionally and statutorily barred from detaining citizens in their militias’ custodies through “Remand Orders” or “Holden Charge”.

“Following the failure of Gov Charles Soludo led Government of Anambra State to ensure due process and rule of law in the instant case; and having controversially labeled, lampooned, ridiculed, humiliated and degraded them by publicly portraying them as those involved in “fetish and demonic religious practices and violent crimes”.

‘In addition to exposing them to public ridicule and danger, the over 40 arrested and detained native doctors who have been illegally detained without investigation and charge or court trial for over 60 days have no case to answer as it stands and in the eyes of extant criminal laws and their procedures governed by Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution”

“In other words, Messrs. Chigozie Nwangwu (“AKWA OKUKO TIWARA AKI), Abuchi Ikechukwu Okafor, Chijindu Nwaeze, Onyeka Onyeji (Vice President of the Umuoji Improvement Union), “Onyeze Jesus”, Ekene Igboekweze (“Eke-Hit”), “Mmili Enwe Iro” and over 34 others must be released unconditionally and freed, having been placed under unlawful custody using hearsay conclusions and false labeling: sobriquet “Trial-by-Ordeal”.

“Their lawyers and family members should take the advocacy notice of the above by rising to the occasion.

“Gov Charles Soludo had also on March 8, 2025, banned open gospel preaching in the State and imposed arrest and fine of N500,000 on those engaging in it.

“The Gov made the ban during his recent visit to Ochanja Market in Onitsha. This above is also nothing short of a clear manifestation of the dictatorial and tyrannical State Detention of Persons Decree 2 of 1984 of the Nigerian military’s inglorious epoch.

“The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law is adding her international advocacy voice by urging the Donald Trump Government of the United States of America to ensure that Nigeria is returned to the list of “Countries-of-Particular-Concern” for egregious abuse and violation of ‘International Religious Freedom’.

“The InterSociety also strongly calls for inclusion of “Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen” and “Jihadist Fulani Bandits” in the international list of “Entities-of-Particular-Concern”.

It said the group “is in total agreement with the United States Commission on Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and its 2025 annual report in which sixteen countries including Nigeria were recommended for designation as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).

“We are also in strong solidarity and agreement with the respected group’s calls for the U.S. to continue to stand firm against threats to freedom of religion worldwide.

“According to the Vatican News of March 25, 2025, culled from the Reuters, the Commission is a bipartisan federal entity established by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998 that makes foreign policy recommendations to the U.S. Government and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and advance freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) internationally.

“Its recommendations help the U.S. State Department draw up its annual list of governments and non-state actors that engage in, or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom.

“We respectfully disagree with USCIRF on the ground that in its list of seven terror entities recommended to be designated as “Entities-of-Particular-Concern”, two of Nigeria’s most atrocious religious terror entities:

“Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Jihadist Fulani Bandits and their patron bodies are omitted or excluded.

“This is despite the two deadly religious terror groups accounting for over 75% of abductions, disappearances, captivity and open killings and wanton destruction of properties including churches and Christian schools, dwelling houses and farmlands.

“The above is in addition to the fact that “more than 145 Catholic priests and hundreds of other Christian leaders have been abducted since 2015 and not less than 12 Catholic priests abducted in the first three months of 2025 alone.

“We therefore urge the Donald Trump Government of the United States and the USCIRF to ensure that Nigeria is returned to the list of “CPC”

“The Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Jihadist Fulani Bandits and their patrons enlisted as “Entities-and-their Patrons-of-Particular-Concern” with commensurate international sanctions to deter others and ensure respect for international religious freedom.