The groups also raised concerns over alleged cases where families were unable to establish the whereabouts of relatives for prolonged periods.
A coalition of 20 civil society and human rights organisations in Southeast Nigeria has demanded an urgent and independent investigations into allegations of prolonged detention of civilians at Wawa Military Barracks in Niger State and the discovery and movement of hundreds of unidentified bodies in Imo State.
The organisations, in a petition to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), dated August 24, 2026, said the allegations raised “grave public interest and potential human rights” concerns and required an impartial investigation to establish the truth.
The groups stressed that they were not presenting the allegations as established facts but said the consistency of reports from multiple sources provided sufficient grounds for an independent investigation.
The coalition includes the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Citizens Centre for Integrated Development, Anambra CSO Network, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, Initiative for Ideal Development and Emancipatory Leadership in Nigeria and other civil society organisations.
