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The once-thriving Ndiagu Amofia in Umuhu autonomous community, Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzu local government area of Enugu State, now lies desolate and abandoned.

Armed Fulani herdsmen have taken over the land, displacing hundreds of residents who fled in terror after a brutal attack on Friday, February 28, 2025.

SaharaReporters learnt that the marauding herdsmen set two houses ablaze, looted several others, and brutally killed the only child of a widow and a final year university student.

The child’s uncle was also shot, leaving the community in a state of shock and grief.

The attack has rendered the residents homeless, and their hopes of returning to their ancestral homes hang in the balance.

The village, once a thriving agricultural community, now lies idle, its farm settlements abandoned and with dry leaves covered everywhere.

When SaharaReporters visited Ndiagu Amofia Umuhu on Monday on a factfinding tour, no single resident was seen in the vast settlement as everyone had fled.

SaharaReporters was told that the settlement until the attack was last remaining community settlement otherwise known as ‘Ndiagu’ in Eha-Amufu.

From Amofia Unu to the settlement which took SaharaReporters crew 45 minutes in a ride on commercial motorcycle otherwise known as ‘Okada’ could only be accessed through trekking, motorcycles or bicycles.

The settlement has no access road as it can only be accessed through footpaths with dangerous terrain full of makeshift culverts.

On the road SaharaReporters crew saw residents, mainly women who were carrying their belongings and farm produce fleeing the settlement to wherever they could find shelter.

On approaching the settlement, SaharaReporters saw a primary school and a Church beside it. However, on a closer look it was observed that the school and church had since been abandoned, showing the severity of the situation.

Getting inside the settlement, the entire area was greeted with desolation and abandonment.

The area could best be described as a dead zone with silent like graveyard. One can hear sounds of pine if it falls down. You can only hear noise of birds and animals in the bush. Homes have been abandoned with compounds littered with dry leaves.

On approaching the areas where houses were burned, sounds of gunshots could be heard loud and clear.

The next was noise of cows. From the sounds it could only mean one thing, the hersmen are living close. Discussion throughout the tour in the settlement was done in hush voices. Our guide, who was one of the victims of the attack and the chairman of the Ndiagu Amofia village led the way.

At a point, he became afraid of going further and advised the crew go back for everyone’s safety. He took SaharaReporters crew to houses that were burned. He was constantly moving, hide and peeping to know whether there’s danger before continuing.

“We are in a state of panic,” said Mr. Godwin Chukwudi Odoh, chairman of the Ndiagu Amofia village. “They burned two houses, killed a final-year university student and only child of a widow. I was targeted, but I escaped by hiding in the bush. My house was burned, and my wife and newborn baby were forced to flee.”

The attack has left the community in a state of fear, with residents too afraid to return to their homes. “As we speak, I have nothing left,” Odoh lamented. “To eat, I depend on the generosity and kindness of the people. I’m currently squatting with a relation. It’s disheartening that since the attack, no government agency has brought food or assistance to us.”

Asked why the Fulani attacked them, Odoh said “I don’t know. We don’t have problem with Fulanis and this is the first we are witnessing this attack”. On why the sudden attack and sacking the village settlement, he said “I don’t know.” “Since the attack, some government officials are coming but have never heard anything from them thereafter. I don’t know whether they came to know whether it is true or not. But you have seen houses they burned. My own house was burned. They actually came for me but I saw them from afar with AK 47 rifles, I followed backyard and ran inside the bush and hid.”

“When they came, my wife who gave birth barely three months ago was asked about me and she told them that I wasn’t around. Two of them went inside the house, ransacked and took away every valuable thing including money and motorcycle.

“After looting, they told my wife to leave the house, and threatened that if they return and find her she would be dead. Few minutes later they returned and razed the house with every of our belongings including clothes, yam barn. This very clothes I am wearing was giving to me by sympathisers. As we speak I have nothing left. To eat, I depend on generosity and kindness of the people. I’m currently squatting with a relation.

“It is even disheartening that since the attack no government agency has brought food to us. We have lost everything not because of our making. What government officials were busy doing was how to whitewash the attack,” Odoh lamented.

“As you witnessed how we were sneaking to get the houses they burned; you heard their voices, you heard the noise of cows and you also heard gunshots. This is to tell you that Fulani herdsmen are very many in Ndiagu Amofia. Now our people have been sacked; before anyone can go to the settlement now to get anything for his or her family, it is very difficult.

“We need government’s intervention to get them out of the place so that our people can return to their farms and homes. We depend on the farm for our survival.

“I am appealing to both government and good spirited individuals to come to our aide.”

Odoh gave other names of victims as: “Igwurube Idenyi; his house was razed down like mine. No pine was rescued. Those whom their houses were looted and vandalised are – Okibe Eze, Ododo Nwa-Ogboku, Cyprian Ani and Igwurube Ede.”

Another victim, James Igwurube, shared his harrowing experience, saying, “I went to the farm that day, and when I returned, I found that our houses had been burned. My father died from the shock of hearing about the incident. I appeal to the government for assistance.”

The villagers are calling on the government to intervene and protect them from further attacks. “We need government intervention to get them out of the place so that our people can return to their farms and homes,” Odoh said. “We depend on the farm for our survival.”

The attack on Ndiagu Amofia village is a stark reminder of the ongoing insecurity plaguing Nigeria’s rural communities.

As the villagers struggle to come to terms with their loss, they are left wondering if anyone will be held accountable for the attack.

Credit: SaharaReporters