Women from Eha-Ohala, comprising Mgbuji, Umujove, and Abor autonomous communities in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, took to the streets on Tuesday to protest ongoing attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
According to The PUNCH, the demonstrators blocked the Nkalagu-Eha-Amufu-Ikem-Obollo-Afor Federal Highway, waving green leaves and chanting songs of sorrow, as they demanded urgent action from the authorities.
The women accused security forces of neglecting their plight, alleging that attackers have continued to destroy their farms, homes, and livelihoods without consequences.
Speaking at the protest, Mrs. Roseline Odoh lamented the dire situation, saying that residents could no longer access their farms due to the unrelenting violence.
“Every year, during harvest, Fulani herdsmen invade our farms, destroying our crops and leaving us with nothing. Farming is our only means of survival, yet we have been driven away from our land,” Odoh said.
She further recounted how many villagers had been displaced, with homes burned and farmlands taken over.
“The worst part is that they have taken over our farm settlements. We have nowhere to go. Many of our children, husbands, and youths have been killed, yet the government and security agencies continue to deny these attacks ever happened. We don’t understand why they remain silent while we suffer,” she added.
Another protester, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed frustration with the authorities’ response to the crisis.
“When soldiers and police are deployed, they only patrol the town and never go to the areas where these criminals are hiding. It is time for these attacks to stop,” she stated.
According to the protesters, over 150 people from the affected communities have been killed since 2020, while more than 28 farm settlements have been forcefully occupied by the attackers.
Despite repeated calls for intervention, both the Enugu State Police Command and the media office of Governor Peter Mbah have yet to respond to inquiries regarding the crisis.
