Four farmers have been killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in Mgbuji community, Isi-Uzo local government area of Enugu State, community sources confirmed on Tuesday.
The victims, identified as Izuchukwu Uzu, Daniel Ogbodo, Isaiah Odo, and a fourth person whose father was named as Emmanuel Eze, were reportedly attacked while working on their farms.
Mgbuji, located in Eha-Amufu, has suffered a series of similar attacks in recent years. Community leader Ogenyi Samuel confirmed that three bodies were initially recovered on Monday, with Izuchukwu's body found the following day, bringing the death toll to four.
Community Expresses Frustration Over Recurring Attacks
"We are tired and despondent. The government only mobilises security agents after every attack to collect corpses, but they don't do anything to prevent the attacks or engage the assailants," Samuel lamented, adding that Izuchukwu's body had been deposited in the morgue.
Another community leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the situation as "like a guerrilla war" and expressed frustration over the lack of preventive security measures.
"Our people are already tired and despondent because you don't know when the assailants will come. We have a large farm concentration, and when you think you have secured one side, the assailants will launch an attack through another area," the source said.
The community leader also revealed that the herdsmen are still occupying settlements in the area and launching attacks from there. He claimed that a separate attack occurred the previous Friday, where another farmer narrowly escaped after being macheted, though his motorcycle was stolen.
Ongoing Security Concerns
The attack comes just three months after women from seven autonomous communities in Eha-Amufu protested against relentless assaults by herdsmen, which have reportedly led to hundreds of deaths and widespread sexual violence since 2021.
The community source alleged that the local government chairman, Mr. Obiora Obeagu, is not providing adequate support to security personnel stationed in the area. "The soldiers and policemen who were already in Eha-Amufu, who accepted that they would be combing the bushes periodically, the Council Chairman is not helping them by giving them fuel to go there," he claimed.
Attempts to reach Council Chairman Obiora Obeagu for comment were unsuccessful, and the Enugu State Police Command has yet to release an official statement on the incident.
As investigations continue, residents of Mgbuji and surrounding communities remain fearful of further attacks, with many expressing concerns about their safety while working on their farms.
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