Fulani herdsmen kill over 20 people, burn church in Enugu

Not lesser than 20 people were killed during an attack by Fulani herdsmen in Ukpabi Nimbo, a community in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Enugu State, on Monday.

Scores of armed cattle rearers, reportedly numbering over 100, stormed the community very early.





According to sources, sporadic gunshots were heard as the armed herdsmen attacked villagers in their homes.

It was learnt that the invading herdsmen carried guns, bows, arrows, machetes and swords to execute their mission.

They also set a Catholic church in the area on fire.

Many of the villagers were said to have escaped to neighbouring communities, but residents in nearby towns were also worried about possible attacks from the herdsmen.

According to a police source, the corpses of five persons, who died in the attack, had been recovered.


There were signs that more bodies would be recovered as a combined team of police and military personnels, who moved into the community to quell the attack, had yet to reach all the affected areas.
Sources in the Ukpabi Nimbo community said more than 20 people were killed before help could come.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said the total number of casualties could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

Amaraizu said the situation in the community had been brought under control, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu, had led other officers of the command to the affected areas.

The PPRO stated,
“We moved in to ensure that the situation did not degenerate beyond control and right now, everything is under control.

“The Commissioner of Police is there with other officers and men and the area is being secured.

“We can’t give the total number of casualties yet; it is when the operation is concluded that we will collate figures and give a definite number.”



Sources in the community disclosed that the villagers had been resisting the use of their farmlands as grazing fields by the herdsmen and this got the herdsmen angry.