Eighteen residents of Egedegede, Obegu and Amuzu communities in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, were on Monday evening, gruesomely killed by suspected herdsmen who invaded the communities.
The attacks were said to have taken place on Monday night in Nkalaha, Obegu, Amazu, Nkalagu and Umuhuali autonomous communities.
Residents have accused herders of carrying out the attacks, but the police is yet to confirm the claim.
One of the eyewitnesses who escaped the onslaught, Ngozi Odoabuchi, narrated:
“I went to Ishielu Local Government headquarters where I am working and after the close of work, I took motorcycle popularly known as okada from Nkalagu to my community, Obeagu. It was around 4.30pm.
The okada man is from my community; so, he took me and one other person, a lady.
“We passed Egedegede Junction and between the village and the junction, we sighted about seven men in black clothes; three were going inside the bush while four were by the roadsides.
“On getting to the point, they stopped us and took us inside the bush. Inside the bush were about 10 to 15 others. Immediately, they started beating us black and blue. While they were beating two of us who were women, they stabbed the driver with a dagger and slaughtered him in our presence.
“After killing him, they started marching on our body. So, every motorcycle that comes, they will stop it, kill every male and burn the motorcycle.”
Mrs Odoabuchi, who said she prayed for God’s intervention, noted that while she was lying down with another girl, they (attackers) left, pursuing other people.
She said they immediately ran into the bush and until Tuesday morning.
Amuche Uga, another victim who survived the onslaught, said she was coming home from Onitsha to see her parents when she got stuck in the incident, even as she thanked God she survived it.
She said, “All those who carried out the attack were Fulani. They told us that they were Fulani militias. They also told us that we should go and tell Nnamdi Kanu that they can enter any community in Igboland and carry an attack and nothing will happen.”
Another person who gave his name as Okechukwu Ebeh, alleged that the assailants were brought to the community on Monday in five unmarked Hilux vans.
“They first attacked a young man who was returning home with his mother and wife. When he came to the village, after telling his story, our people immediately started calling people who were in Nkalagu and Eha-Amufu and other neighbouring communities to remain there until the issue was addressed.
“Unfortunately, those who didn’t get the information were mostly the victims. Others killed were people passing through the community from other states at Egedegede Junction.”
While a resident who did not want his name in print said 18 persons were killed by the herdsmen in Ishielu, another resident said 10 persons were killed.
“We are mourning, we are in serious mourning since late hours of Monday. Herdsmen invaded our communities and massacred our people. As we speak, 18 persons were slaughtered like animals. They matcheted many of our people, burnt vehicles, motorcycles and looted our properties,” the resident said.
Chairman of Ishielu Local Government Area, Sunday Eze, and Commissioner for Business Development in the state,
Dr. Stephen Odo, who hails from the local government, led a team of security agents to the communities and condoled the families of those killed in the invasion. They assured that government would take proactive measures to investigate the attack.
Governor David Umahi visited the affected communities on Tuesday, to assess the situation.
Umahi said, “I got very shocking news this afternoon about the attack on about four communities of Nkalaha, Obegu, Amaezu and Umuhuali in Ishielu Local Government Area of the state by herdsmen wielding AK-47 rifles. They came yesterday (Monday) and killed 15 members of these communities.
“Good enough, we have some traces of the sponsors; we have the traces of those who came here. I will not disclose it, but I am going to escalate the identities of the people to the highest authorities and we wait to see what they will do. But we condemn this attack; if it is allowed to go this way, it is capable of generating very serious civil war among the nation of Nigeria.”
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