Bloodbath in Enugu as 25 killed in suspected herdsmen attacks

Panic has gripped Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State following a fresh wave of bloodshed allegedly carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

No fewer than 25 people have been brutally killed in a series of coordinated attacks that have left residents traumatised and forced families to flee their ancestral homes in search of safety.

The violence, which has spread across agrarian communities, has triggered mass displacement as villagers—mostly farmers—abandon their homes and farmlands for fear of further attacks. Eyewitnesses described horrifying scenes, particularly in Adani village, where four farmers, including women and a tree feller, were slaughtered in their farms in broad daylight.

Chijindu Omeje, a resident of Adani, confirmed the attacks and said one of the victims, Emenike, was his cousin’s in-law. “This happened in broad daylight. The Adani to Ogurugu road is now a death trap. The kidnappers and killers have taken over, and we believe they are herdsmen,” he said.

The rising violence has sparked outrage from local vigilante groups who have accused security agencies of turning a blind eye to the carnage. A visibly frustrated community member, Godwin Ezugwu, faulted the new Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, for allegedly denying that any insecurity exists in the area.

The situation worsened following the recent killing of a community vigilante member, Chijioke Anioke, and the abduction of a commercial driver, Patty Ozor, whose passenger was also murdered in the attack. The continued bloodshed has pushed many locals to question the government’s silence and the absence of any coordinated security response.

Calls have grown louder for Governor Peter Mbah to take urgent action to restore security in Uzo-Uwani. Many residents are also slamming the LGA Chairman, Chijioke Ezugwu, a former vigilante leader, for his perceived silence and inaction, saying he has been conspicuously missing while his people suffer.

Some community leaders, now losing faith in government protection, are advocating for self-defense. They cited alleged intelligence from the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, suggesting that Fulani elements have declared war on the South and are targeting vulnerable rural communities.

The crisis is not new. For over two decades, residents of Enugu State—especially in Uzo-Uwani and Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo LGA—have faced what many describe as an orchestrated campaign of terror and displacement. In Eha-Amufu alone, more than 44 farm settlements have been deserted following sustained attacks that intensified in 2021.

Despite repeated pleas for a high-level security summit or intervention from the federal government, the Enugu State administration has been accused of indifference, further deepening public distrust in the system.

With blood flowing, families displaced, and farmlands abandoned, the big question remains: how many more lives must be lost before decisive action is taken? For the people of Uzo-Uwani, the fear is real, the grief overwhelming, and the silence from leadership deafening.