Tension In Enugu As Armed Herdsmen Kill Farmer, Soldiers Attack Protesting Residents

Tension has engulfed Onolieze community in the Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State following the killing of a resident, identified as Mr. Ogechukwu Mba, by suspected Fulani herdsmen and the alleged assault on protesting villagers by soldiers.

Community leaders said Mba was shot dead on February 20 while working on his farmland in the Onoli axis of the agrarian settlement, located within the Ugwuleshi autonomous community. In a statement signed by Malachi Onyia on behalf of the Concerned Stakeholders of Onolieze Community, which was made available to SaharaReporters' on Tuesday, the residents described the killing as part of a pattern of “repeated attacks by armed marauders” that have turned their ancestral lands into “a theater of unprovoked violence.”

“We lost one of our gallant officers from Onoli, Mr. Ogechukwu Mba, who was shot by Fulanis in his farmland,” the statement read.

The stakeholders alleged that sustained attacks by suspected herdsmen have led to “senseless loss of lives, displacement of families, and systematic destruction of the community’s social fabric.”

According to them, the insecurity has crippled farming activities in the area, forcing residents to abandon their farmlands for fear of being killed.

“The persistent insecurity has forced a productive, agrarian population into a state of paralysed fear. Farmers, who are the backbone of the local economy, can no longer cultivate their lands without the looming shadow of death,” the group stated.

“This is more than a security breach; it is an assault on the dignity, safety, and fundamental right to life of peaceful citizens.”

Tensions reportedly escalated when youths and residents staged a peaceful protests on Saturday over the killing and what they described as government inaction.

Community sources told SaharaReporters that soldiers of the Nigerian Army were deployed to the area and attacked protesters instead of confronting the armed attackers.

Residents claimed the military personnel dispersed demonstrators and allegedly intimidated villagers who demanded protection from the recurring herdsmen attacks.

"Instead of the Nigerian Army to go after the killers, they rather turned their guns on the poor villagers. Hounding our youths and labelling them members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN)," one of the sources lamented.

Efforts to get official confirmation from the Nigerian Army on the alleged assault were unsuccessful as the acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, did not answer several calls to his phone as at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the stakeholders have called on the Enugu State government and the Nigerian government to urgently intervene, warning that “the limits of civilian resilience have been reached.”

“Sustained outrage alone will not shield our people. We require a transition from communal grief to state-led protection. The silence of the hills in Awgu must no longer be broken by the cries of the bereaved,” the statement said.

They demanded for an "Immediate tactical deployment of security personnel to affected areas;

"Intelligence collaboration between security agencies and local communities to preempt attacks;

"Establishment of a mini Army barracks or a full police division within the Onolieze axis;

"Restoration of confidence to enable displaced farmers to return to their lands; among other measures."

Residents said the latest killing has heightened fear across neighbouring villages, with many families reportedly fleeing their homes.

The community paid tribute to those killed in previous attacks, describing them as “heroes and heroines whose lives were cut short in defense of their homes.”

“We pray for the eternal repose of their souls and extend our deepest empathy to the grieving families,” the statement added.

The violence in parts of Enugu State mirrors similar clashes in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and southern regions, where farming communities have repeatedly accused armed herdsmen of attacks, land encroachment and killings.

When contacted, the Enugu State Police Command spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe, said he was not aware of the incident.