Fulani Herdsmen Invade Enugu Community, 20 Killed

No fewer than 20 persons in Ukpabi Nimbo, an agrarian community in the Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State, were killed during an attack by alleged Fulani herdsmen on Monday morning.

It was learnt that scores of armed cattle rearers, reportedly numbering more than 100, stormed the sleepy community in the early hours of Monday.

The herdsmen had allegedly recruited scores of gunmen from Nasarawa State for the impending attack on the Enugu community.

Sources in the community said sporadic gunshots were heard as the rampaging herdsmen moved to sack the village and chase villagers from their homes.

It was gathered that the invading cattle rearers carried guns, bows, arrows, machetes and swords.

The invaders also set a Catholic church in the area on fire. Many of the villagers were said to have escaped to neighbouring communities in the Uzo-Uwani area, but it was gathered that people in the nearby towns were also worried about possible attacks from the herdsmen.

A police source told Punch that as of the time of filing this report, the corpses of five persons, who died in the attack, had been recovered.

It was also learnt that the corpses, which were deposited at the morgue in Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, were recovered from farmlands.

There were indications more bodies would be recovered as a combined team of police and military personnel, who moved into the community to quell the attack, had yet to reach all the affected areas.

But sources in the Ukpabi Nimbo community said more than 20 of their kith and kin were killed.

The Police PRO, 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.

He 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."