- holding guns and machetes marching to our community, Ebor.
- They first entered my village Ama-Obelebe. They started pursuing us which made me run back home.
- On getting to the house, I could not find my children and my husband at home.
- “Later I discovered that my husband was among the people killed.
- In the evening I got information that my children were in Ama-Nkanu, a distant neighbouring community, which is very far from Eha-Amufu.
- My husband was buried when his corpse was discovered the next day,” she lamented.
- On the identity of those who attacked them, Nkechi Ebeh said that they were Fulani herders, together with Agala people of Benue State.
“We don’t hear the language of Fulani but we hear that of Agala people because they are our neighbouring community.”
She pleaded with the government to come to their aid as they would not live as Internally Displaced Persons forever.
A resident of Ebor community, Mr. Chukwudi Omeri while giving an insight into the December 8 invasion, revealed that about 10 people were killed in Ama-Obelebe village, including his brother, Mr. Friday Omeri, a father of nine.
Lamenting the brutal murder of his people, Chukwudi said, “The attack occurred at about 6am on the fateful day when sounds of heavy gunshots were heard around the community.
Most people, including myself, had thought that it was the security agencies that were shooting but we discovered that the gun-wielding men wore black and black attire, while those leading them were in mufti.
“The attackers of the community came through the farmlands. I saw some faces that looked like the Fulani herders, while others looked like the faces of Agala people from Benue State who are our neighbours. They led the Fulani herders to the community.
communities on the said date. Edeoga, who is also a native of Mgbuji community, Eha-Amufu used the visit to share meals to survivors and appealed to people who fled the communities to return back while assuring that they are making frantic efforts to provide them security.
When asked of the whereabouts of his wife and children, he told journalists that they ran to Nkalaha, a neighbouring community in Ebonyi State and that some of his relatives ran to Anambra for safety.
He asked the government to come to their rescue as the community is at the verge of going into extinction.
Another eyewitness, Mr. Anthony Onunze, a 60-year-old man, revealed that the crisis started from the farm settlements where the members of the community were killed by Fulani herders.
He said that the latest crisis started on January 6, 2022, when the Fulani herders started killing their people.
“Since then, no one goes to the farm again. And this has brought hunger and hardship on the people.
He stated that the attack on 8th December, 2022, led to the death of 25 persons in Abor village. The victims were all men as the attackers never killed any woman during the attack.
Thursday,
the 8th day of December, 2022, Eha-Amufu has been witnessing series of killings and other criminal activities, with every effort made by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuayi of Enugu State unable to yield the desired result.
The Governor had, on several occasions, summoned an emergency meeting involving all the stakeholders from the area.
During such meetings, revelations are always made and actions taken.
Unfortunately none of the actions have yielded the desired result. As soon as the residents return home, the marauders, said to be Fulani herdsmen will strike again and leave the village bleeding.
Apart from the killings that usually occurred at early morning hours, kidnapping along major access roads leading to the town especially Eha-Amufu – Ikem road has been a den of kidnappers, making it unsafe for any member of the community to pass by once it is 6pm.
Road users are always kidnapped and taken to the Benue State axis where they are kept until ransom is paid. Eha-Amufu, an agrarian community, has a population of over 70,000, with a larger portion of the residents dependent on farming for their survival.
It shares boundaries with Ebonyi and Benue States. With the constant unchecked attacks, the entire residents are under threat, including the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, which has attracted some significant development both from the government, as well as private individuals in the area.
A tour of the communities showed that no human activity is going on at the moment. Shops are under lock, markets and businesses have been closed down.
