Residents of Eboh Community in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, are fleeing their homes after a violent attack by armed herdsmen left 16 people dead and devastated properties in a neighboring Ebonyi State community.
According to SaharaReporters, it was learnt on Tuesday morning that women and children below age of 18 years had already fled the agrarian community which had witnessed several attacks and abduction by Fulani hersmen in collaboration with neighbouring Benue State communities since 2021.
“The truth my brother is that residents of Eboh have fled the community, though there is no current attack in the community. The carnage they (Fulani Herdsmen) visited in the neighbouring Nkalaha Community on Sunday, which left at least 16 persons dead and 25 houses other valuable assets burned has sent shockwaves to our community.
“According to reports which I don’t know whether it is true or not, the people of Eboh said that the Fulani herdsmen have sent signal that they will attack the community.
“If you come to the camp now, you will see lots of Eboh people mainly women and children who have already fled the community. However, some men are staying back to the defend the community in case of any eventuality,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters also reliably gathered that for the past three days, armed herdsmen have been engaging the Enugu community local security in gunfire, although no casualty has been reported so far.
SaharaReporters reported on November, 2024, how three farmers from the neighbouring Mgbuji community were murdered by same Fulani herdsmen while trying to occupy their farmlands near the boundary with Benue State.
Video clips seen had shown one of the victims slaughtered inside his Rice farm lying beside a basket cassava, he reportedly harvested before he was attacked.
It would be recalled that suspected Fulani militias under President Muhammadu Buhari, had sacked over 20 farm settlements in Eha-Amufu communities and killed no less than 123 locals between 2019 and 2022, during clashes over farm destruction.
Ogenyi Odoh, a community leader, who confirmed the latest attacks and killings, begged for government urgent intervention to stop what he described as murderous attacks by herdsmen.
He said that for the past two weeks, herdsmen have destroyed hundreds of hectares of rice farms that are already due for harvest.
More worrisome, Odoh said was the rejection of those wounded that were taken to the state teaching hospital (ESUT Parklane) because of alleged workers’ strike.
Odoh revealed that prior to the resumed attacks all the soldiers deployed to various strategic places in Eha-Amufu were withdrawn without any reason.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ efforts to speak with the Enugu Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls.
