Why Suspected Herdsmen Launched Fresh Attacks On Ebonyi Community

…My 75-Year-Old Father, A Retired Police Inspector Murdered – Ogbu
…I Lost Everything Including My Husband — Mrs. Ogbabo
…Lord’s Chosen Pastors Slaughtered On The Altar — Witness
…Incident Highlights Need For Proactive Security Agencies – Lawmaker

Tears streamed down faces, stained with the dust of a ravaged community. The echoes of recent herdsmen attacks in Ebonyi reverberate with pain, leaving behind a trail of destruction and despair. SAMPSON NWAFOR reports:

 There are tears, sorrow, and an­guish in the Amagu-Nkalaha community, Ishielu LGA, Ebonyi State, following the gruesome at­tack by suspected Fulani herders on Sun­day, February 2, 2025.

The Amagu people wished that day had never come. They never imagined that the gory story of herdsmen attacks would be told about them so soon, espe­cially since they are still traumatised by the gruesome attack on their neighbour­ing Obeagu and Egedegede villages in the same LGA in 2021, which killed about 20 people and destroyed many houses.

This was only an official casualty fig­ure. The gravity of the 2021 attack on Obe­agu and Egedegede villages prompted former President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the area. The President was rep­resented by his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo.

He was accompanied to the area by the state’s Governor at the time, David Umahi. How did the Amagu attack take place? The suspected herders were said to have surrounded Amagu village’s exit and entry points before wreaking havoc on the helpless residents.

As of the last count, the lifeless bodies of 15 people had been discovered, along with scores of others who had suffered matchet and bullet wounds, and many more had been declared missing. The marauding herders also targeted houses, domestic animals, and yam bans, setting fire to hundreds of them and killing every domestic animal they came across.

They also allegedly looted essential items while fleeing the scene. It was re­ported that in December 2024, the angry natives of Amagu village killed a Fulani herder’s cow for destroying their farm crops. This resulted in a misunderstand­ing between Fulani herders and Amagu residents.

Apparently aware of the impending danger, the Traditional Ruler of Nkalaha Community, HRH Thompson Ebeh, and the stakeholders, including the Tradition­al Ruler of Agila, Benue State, where it was gathered that the herders have a permanent settlement, convened sever­al reconciliatory meetings between the Amagu people and the Fulani herders, but they had no idea that the herders had a different plan.

It was also reported that the LGA’s Council Chairman, Mrs Ifeoma Agwu, paid a visit to the village at some point to truly understand the extent of the resolution of the misunderstanding, but was told not to worry because peace had returned. They were unaware that the Fulani herders were being used for evil purposes.

The State Governor, Francis Ogbon­na Nwifuru, condemned the attack and dispatched his Deputy, Princess Patricia Obila, to the area to assess the scope of the attack, console the victims, and intervene as needed. The state government has de­ployed security personnel to the area to prevent further attacks.

 “I am saddened to learn about the at­tack on the people of Nkalaha in Ishielu Local Government Areas, which resulted in the deaths of innocent citizens of the State. The attack is a blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life.

“The attack, which is not the first in the area, is troubling and causes con­cern for the government and people of the state.

“However, as a government commit­ted to protecting our people’s lives and property, we will take decisive action to in­vestigate the circumstances surrounding the attack,” the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, said in a state­ment condemning the attack.

According to the Governor, the Eb­onyi people are very hospitable, and he wonders why such attacks occur at reg­ular intervals.

“Our people are very accommodating, but strangers should not take advantage of their calmness to unleash terror on them,” the Governor said.

The Governor assured the people that the government would take decisive ac­tion to investigate the attack and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Senator Kenneth Eze, who represents Ebonyi Central Senatorial Zone, also con­demned the attack and urged security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators, saying:

“This is a time of grief for us all, and I share in your sorrow. I am deeply sad­dened and strongly condemn this despi­cable act. I want to reassure the people of Amagu-Nkalaha that we are all in this together, and we will get through this difficult time.

“This tragic incident highlights the critical need for our security agencies and personnel to be more vigilant in gathering intelligence to detect and pre­vent such heinous acts before they occur. As a result, I call on all relevant security agencies to hold the perpetrators of this heinous crime accountable.”

Mrs Ifeoma Agwu, Council Chairman of the LGA, strongly condemned the at­tack, describing it as a blatant disregard for human life.

“February 2nd, 2025, will live in our memories as a day of unspeakable trag­edy. The brutal attack on the Amagu com­munity in Nkalaha by suspected Fulani herders has claimed innocent lives and destroyed property. This heinous act demonstrates a flagrant disregard for human life.

 “As the Executive Chairman of Ish­ielu Local Government Area, I stand in solidarity with the victims’ families and loved ones. I urge our community to remain calm, vigilant, and cooperative with the authorities as they investigate this incident.

“Together, we must condemn violence and promote peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families during this difficult time,” she stated.

Speaking to our reporter about the cause of the attack, Council Chairman Mrs Agwu stated, “The people had an issue with the Fulani herdsmen, which resulted in the death of their cow. It was a significant issue, prompting me to con­tact security agencies.

“We have been working on this issue since December 2024. We even invited the Traditional Rulers of this communi­ty and the Agila Community to ensure a peaceful resolution of this matter, which Her Excellency, the Deputy Governor, gave us three weeks to handle.

“I came here and we met, and the community told me there was no lon­ger a problem and that they were living peacefully with the Fulani herders. Un­fortunately, on Sunday, while I was pre­paring for church, I received disturbing news that Fulani herders had attacked the Amagu-Nkalaha community.”

HRH Thompson Ebeh, the tradition­al ruler of the Nkalaha Community, told our reporter that the matter began in De­cember of last year and that the attack killed approximately 15 people.

“This matter began on December 20, 2024, and we have been in communication with the Fulani herders since then. I even invited them to my home alongside the traditional ruler of Agila, Benue.We have been meeting with the Deputy Governor, Commissioners, Police Commissioner, and DSS about the matter.

“This problem has existed for many years. I became a traditional ruler only last year, but I have submitted my report to the government and security agencies, and if it is implemented, the problem will be solved. Approximately, 15 people were killed, many suffered varying degrees of injury, and houses and other property were destroyed.

“They attacked more than just the Amagu-Nkalaha community. They also attacked the Amokwe and Umulecha vil­lages. I want to plead with them to help us, especially these women and children who have been left desolate following the attack,” Thompson Ebe, the Community Monarch, said.

Mrs Ogbabo Justina, who lost her husband in the attack, explained that the Fulani herders surrounded their house, killed the husband, burned it down, stole their valuables, including money, and fled.

“On that early Sunday morning, I had already prepared for Church and was waiting for my daughter to finish preparing when someone informed me that Fulani herders had surround­ed our home. They murdered my hus­band, broke into our homes, and stole the money I was holding before setting the house on fire. I lost everything, in­cluding my husband.” Mrs. Ogbabo Justina pleaded with the government to come to her aid.

Honourable Daniel Ogbu, a former Nkalaha Ward Counsellor, also described how he lost his father, Mr James Ogbu, a 75-year-old retired Police Inspector, in the attack. He said, “It was a tragic event for us. I was not at home during the attack because I live in Lagos, but when I heard the news, I rushed home to find out what had happened. I am unhappy because I do not know what caused this.

“In fact, I got hit below the belt. My father, James Ogbu, a retired police in­spector, was killed in the attack. He was approximately 75 years old. We have just finished his burial.”

Dr. Stephen Odo, Director General of the Ebonyi Small and Medium En­terprises Development Agency, who is from the community, also expressed his feelings about the attack, saying, “I am so sad. But I am glad the state government dispatched SEMA to intervene in the sit­uation. And I am confident that the gov­ernment will take appropriate action.”

Mr Edeh Kingsley, the national youth leader of the Nkalaha Community, de­scribed the attack as a slap in the face, but the most tragic aspect was the killing of two Lord’s Chosen Pastors who were shot at the Church altar by marauding herders. He said, “What happened here on Sunday was a big slap to us, but we say, all glory to God. We never expected such a thing. Despite our leaders’ best efforts, something like this did happen. When the attack occurred, the number of casualties was staggering, and the brutality was out of control.

“Many people are still missing. The most tragic part of it was the attack on the Lord’s chosen church in Amokwe, where the pastor and assistant pastor were shot at the altar.”

Eze Donatus, President General of the Amagu-Nkalaha community, thanked the government for its intervention, re­calling how they had tried unsuccessfully to prevent the ugly incident. “I thank the state government and security agencies for their assistance.

“I was surprised when I got a phone call that Fulani herdsmen had attacked our community. We worked so hard last year to resolve this issue. Our people were slaughtered like fowls, and millions of naira were destroyed.

“Our people are packing out of the community in droves due to fear of an­other attack by the Fulani herdsmen, and I beg the government to help us.”

Meanwhile, the Ebonyi Police Com­mand added a new twist to the incident. Police issued a statement that sharply contradicted the position of the natives of the Amagu-Nkalaha community, who were all in agreement that the attack was carried out by Fulani herders.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the State Police Command issued a statement announcing the arrest of a suspect, Mmad­uabuchi Chimaobi Ebeh, who was said to have been involved in the Amagu-Nkalaha attack. It also announced the recovery of some exhibits related to the attack.

The statement was signed by the Com­mand’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, and stated that the sus­pect was arrested while fleeing the Nka­laha community with the assistance of members of the Nkalaha community at the border of Nkalaha and Eha-amafu and handed over to the Isi-Uzo police division.

“During interrogation, the suspect provided the names of others involved in the attack. Based on the information gathered, command personnel stormed the hideout of the hoodlums who carried out the attack.

“When the operatives raided the crimi­nal hideout, the remaining assailants fled. However, the following items have been recovered: Three locally manufactured single-barrel guns, one police uniform, jungle boots, army camouflage shorts, and combat trousers.

“The command is actively pursuing the remaining fleeing suspects and con­ducting an investigation into this matter. We encourage anyone with useful infor­mation that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to come forward,” the Police Department stated.