Crime
Herdsmen massacre: Enugu people protest in Abuja say ‘Eha Amufu is bleeding’
The leader of the protesters and chairman of the Eha-Amufu Peoples Forum, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, attributed the killings to the clandestine activities of some suspected armed herdsmen.
According to him, the recent attacks commenced on December 7, 2020; when some unknown persons waylaid a truck on the Eha-Amufu-Nkalagu highway and killed the driver and passengers.
While calling on the President Muhammadu Buhari, to deploy soldiers to stop reprisal attacks, Ifeanyi alleged that after the truck incident, armed herdsmen attacked Eha-Amufu on December, 8, 9, 18, and 19, killing people at sight and setting houses on fire.
He said, “We are utterly shocked and greatly distressed by the series of attacks on Eha-Amufu, which occurred first on December 8, and the continued massacre of our people enmass, 51 deaths in Mgbuji, and 22 in Abor, not sparing women or children; destroying our economic fortunes, displacing families and subjecting us to intense fear.
The general belief is that the attackers are Fulani militia that since mid-2021 has been on a Killing spree in Abor, Agu-Amaede, and Mgbuji autonomous communities all in Eha-Amufu, and they are on a revenge mission over their killed cows allegedly killed in 2021 way before the truck incident.
“If the attacks are a reprisal, the assailants should stop and face the real issues. We believe that the attacks are tied to the past. The bloodletting is the handiwork of an insidious enemy in desperation, who have seen the ill-fated episode involving the truck passengers as good excuse and opportunity to slay Eha-Amufu people. We assert that the attacks are not unconnected to the land dispute between Eha-Amufu and some of her neighbours along the Benue border.
“We can see through it all that those behind the attacks are determined to wipe out the entire Eha-Amufu people. Past developments relating to the current happenings are instructive. It is important to note that the land feud between us and our Benue neighbours have been existing over time.
“The land dispute predated the civil war, and it was determined in favour of Eha-Amufu. The judgment can still be found in government archives. Not quite many years back, the dispute gave birth to twin issues, and Eha-Amufu is confronted by both. First has been the continuous encroachment of our Benue neighbours into our lands, using farming as an excuse. In these circumstances, intermittent quarrels and skirmishes are a constant.
“In the early parts of 2020, the Fulani group came as usual herders who visit seasonally to graze. Later, in about mid-2020, a confrontational variant of the Fulani group emerged and settled at the fringes of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation pipeline grounds by the Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu. Next, they engaged in attacking and killing largely farmers in the Eha-Amufu hinterlands. And then, finally, they moved and occupied the lands in contention.
“It is the settling on that land that triggers this Fulani group’s effrontery to contend that they are owners of Eha-Amufu from north to south, that is, from the Benue border to the heart of Eha-Amufu town, available records to the contrary notwithstanding. The group and their collaborators are indeed a source of grave tribulations to us the Eha-Amufu.
“They attack our people every now and again, and often times kidnap for ransom. Worried, Eha-Amufu elders recently approached leaders of the Fulani group with the intention to bargain for peace. Unfortunately, when the peace initiative failed due to bureaucratic interference from high quarters, kidnapping increased, and killings became rampant in our area as corpses were recovered almost daily,” he added.
A young man suspected of attempting to steal cables from a transformer was found dead after reportedly being electrocuted along Trademore Road in Lugbe, Abuja, in the early hours of Friday.
The deceased was reportedly found crouched and lifeless near the transformer, with his body said to have become stiff, suggesting he may have been electrocuted when power was restored.
Residents said there had been no electricity supply in the area on Thursday night before the incident occurred.
The discovery attracted a crowd of residents, who expressed concern over the increasing activities of cable vandals in different parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
Rasheed Ogunyemi, a resident of Iddo Seriki along the Airport Road, said residents in his area often contribute money to repair their transformer, only for vandals to return and cut the cables.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident, stating that the deceased’s body had been evacuated and deposited at a mortuary in Gwagwalada for autopsy.
More than 60 worshippers are feared to have been kidnapped from the Central Mosque in Dekara town, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, during Jumu’at prayers on Friday.
The incident occurred when suspected terrorists, said to be operating in large numbers, stormed the mosque while the prayers were ongoing.
According to sources, the attackers fired several shots before rounding up some of the worshippers and taking them into the surrounding forest.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Borgu Local Government Area witnessed several security incidents on Friday, including attacks on three communities.
“So many things happened in Borgu LGA on Friday. Terrorists attacked three communities, including Dekara. In Dekara, they went to the Central Mosque while Jumu’at prayer was ongoing and kidnapped more than 60 people. But they did not injure anybody,” the resident said.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, has died after reportedly collapsing during a party reconciliation meeting in Iyara, the council headquarters.
Solomon reportedly slumped suddenly while participating in the meeting convened on Friday by a former Ijumu council chairman, Funsho Olumoko, as part of efforts to resolve internal disagreements and promote unity among APC stakeholders in the area.
An eyewitness said the incident caused confusion among participants, who immediately attempted to revive the party chairman before rushing him to a hospital in Kabba.
He reportedly died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The development shocked party leaders and other stakeholders who had gathered for the reconciliation meeting, which was aimed at strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting was expected to bring together party leaders, ward and local government executives, women and youth leaders, as well as government appointees from the 15 wards in Ijumu.
The incident occurred amid renewed efforts by APC stakeholders in the council to resolve longstanding disagreements and restore unity within the local chapter.
Earlier in the month, party leaders in Ijumu had endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, for second terms.
However, that gathering was reportedly disrupted by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, with Solomon and some other officials said to have walked out of the meeting.
Olumoko, who organised Friday’s reconciliation meeting, had previously been mandated by the Ijumu Consultative Forum to facilitate dialogue among political stakeholders in the council.
Solomon’s sudden death is expected to create fresh uncertainty around the ongoing reconciliation efforts within the Ijumu APC, coming barely two weeks after stakeholders renewed calls for unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
The cause of his death had not been officially disclosed as of the time of filing this report, while efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC were ongoing.
Tension and grief have gripped the political community in Enugu State following the suspected murder of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairman in Udenu Local Government Area, Chisimdiri Emmanuel Ngwu.
Ngwu, described as one of the longest-serving members of the ADC in the state, was reportedly found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, under circumstances that have raised concerns among his family, friends and political associates.
A family source told our correspondent that Ngwu woke up early on Wednesday, left the house and never returned alive.
The source said the family became worried after they noticed he was missing, only to later discover his lifeless body outside the compound.
“We woke up and didn’t see him, only to discover his lifeless body in front of our compound,” the source said.
The source further alleged that scratches were found around Ngwu’s neck and that his neck appeared to have been twisted backwards, raising suspicions about the circumstances of his death.
The incident has sparked concern within the ADC in Udenu and the wider political community in Enugu State, with calls for security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring anyone found responsible to justice.
Meanwhile, two persons have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.
Their identities and the specific circumstances surrounding their arrest were not immediately known as of press time.
Ngwu’s death has since sent shock waves through the ADC, with party members and associates mourning his death and demanding a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder of a 56-year-old man, Mr Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area, two days after he was reported missing.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, August 21, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who said the breakthrough followed a coordinated search and investigation by police operatives, local vigilantes and members of the deceased’s family.
Madu was reported missing by his wife on August 18, after he reportedly left home on the evening of August 17 and failed to return.
According to the Command, the search for the missing man took a grim turn later that day when his wife returned to the police station to report that he had been found dead in a nearby bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.
Police operatives immediately mobilised to the scene, where they found Madu’s lifeless body with a deep axe wound to his head. His remains were subsequently evacuated and deposited at a hospital mortuary for preservation.
Following the discovery, detectives intensified their investigation and arrested the deceased’s 32-year-old friend, Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, who allegedly confessed to being involved in the planning of the killing.
Preliminary findings by the Command indicated that Nwankwo allegedly obtained money from Madu through fraudulent means, claiming he would assist him in acquiring a piece of land.
Police alleged that the suspect subsequently engaged two other persons to eliminate Madu in an attempt to conceal the alleged fraudulent transaction and prevent the victim from recovering the money.
The Command said two other suspects linked to the alleged plot were also arrested, bringing the number of persons apprehended in connection with the case to four.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, psc, mnips, has directed investigators to intensify the probe and identify every person involved in the alleged conspiracy and murder.
The CP vowed that all persons found culpable would be brought to justice.
The Command, through Ikenga, assured residents that it would continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing and community partnerships to prevent violent crimes, uncover criminal networks and ensure that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
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