The death toll from the latest suspected herdsmen attack on the Agu-Amed autonomous community in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, has tragically risen to seven, as more bodies were discovered in the bush on Monday.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that at least four residents of Ikpakpara village were brutally slaughtered in a midnight onslaught believed to have been carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen. As the search for the missing continues, residents have now uncovered additional victims—bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to seven, with two still missing.
Confirming the horror to SaharaReporters, Ogbuzuru Ebe, a community leader, revealed that the gruesome attack unfolded on Sunday evening, shattering the calm of the agrarian community.
A local resident, Celestine Odoh, who spoke to SaharaReporters while sharing graphic images and videos from the scene, painted a harrowing picture of the invasion.
> “There’s confusion and fear everywhere. Armed Fulani herdsmen stormed Agu-Amed around 5pm. They butchered seven of our people in the most savage manner. Two others remain unaccounted for,” Odoh lamented.
According to Odoh, the assailants struck multiple locations. In Ohalu Mgbede, an adult man identified as Dennis Ovu and a 20-year-old youth were murdered. In IyiAsa, they killed Joe Aguigbo, Simon Nshi, another youth around 20, and a 32-year-old man whose identity remains unknown.
> “We’ve scoured the bushes but haven’t found the missing two. People are fleeing in fear. This attack was completely unprovoked. We’ve had no issues with herdsmen before now. What they did to our people is unthinkable,” he added.
Odoh further alleged that the attackers may have been airlifted into the community by a helicopter, which hovered above during the raid, possibly providing surveillance and escape support.
> “They came through IyiAsa. A helicopter dropped them off and hovered while the attack happened. They didn’t even start with gunshots—they used machetes to hack people down. It was only when word got out that they began shooting sporadically before vanishing into thin air.”
Aside from the killings, the attackers reportedly looted shops at Afor market, stealing money and personal belongings, although they did not physically harm women.
This latest massacre marks yet another bloody chapter in a string of violent assaults that have plagued Eha-Amufu since 2021. These attacks—attributed to suspected Fulani herders—have led to the deaths of scores of farmers and widespread sexual violence against women.
In March 2025, women from seven autonomous communities took to the streets in a massive protest, decrying the state’s failure to end the carnage. They accused security agencies and political leaders of abandoning rural communities to their fate.
According to documented reports, at least 163 residents of Eha-Amufu have been murdered by suspected herdsmen between 2021 and June 16, 2025. Over 49 people have been kidnapped, with at least 20 still missing to date.
Community leaders have expressed frustration and helplessness, slamming the state and local governments for their inaction and silence.
> “We’re left to die here,” one leader said. “The local government chairman has not shown any will to defend us. We’re on our own.”
Ironically, the deadly attack occurred less than 24 hours after the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, visited Eha-Amufu in what he described as a routine confidence-building patrol.
Giwa was accompanied by senior police officers including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), DCP Gregory Itobore; Udenu Area Commander, ACP Bernard Amaga Ukwa; and heads of various tactical and operational units.
Yet, within hours of that patrol, blood flowed again.
Repeated attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, for comments were unsuccessful as he neither answered his calls nor responded to text messages.
This latest bloodbath has reignited national concerns over the growing insecurity in Nigeria’s southeastern region and the unchecked escalation of the farmer-herder conflict.
Security analysts warn that unless the federal and state governments treat these incidents with the urgency they demand, more communities could face similar fates.
The people of Agu-Amed, still reeling from Sunday’s horror, are now crying out for justice, demanding swift intervention before their once-thriving community is erased from the map.
PIONEER NEWS 