Death toll rises to 15 in Ebonyi community herdsmen’s killings

The death toll in the invasion of Amagu and two other villages, in Nkalaha community in the Ishielu local Government Area of Ebonyi State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, has risen to 15 while many people are still missing in the area, PUNCH Metro learnt on Tuesday.

Suspected armed herdsmen had, on Sunday morning, invaded the community, killing 10 people and burning houses.

However, recent findings revealed that more dead bodies were recovered in the bushes around the area while some natives still went missing in the affected villages.

The Ebonyi State Deputy Governor, Princess Patricia Obila, who visited the community on Tuesday, gave a 24-hour ultimatum to security agencies in the state to fish out the suspected killers who killed the innocent citizens in three villages of Nkalaha community.

Princess Obila, who represented Governor Francis Nwifuru, said the state government was very shocked and saddened over the incident.

She said, “No government is happy to see their citizens being killed in a bloody manner.  This is a horrific scene to behold. If you look at those corpses, they are a younger generation that were lost.

“What happens to their children and what happens to their families? Why do you terminate lives that you can’t create? It is too bad. I’m sounding a warning to all the youth leaders of this community. All of you should sit up, I didn’t say that you should sit up to go and fight but to make peace and love in harmony.

”Many people died for not knowing what was happening. I’m telling you the truth. Many of the corpses lying there did not know what was happening.

“I am giving this community three days to go into fasting and prayers, for God to come and sanctify this community. There is nothing that God cannot do.”

She thanked the security agencies in the state for their efforts, noting that without their intervention, the casualty would have been more than the figure seen, saying, “The killers must be brought to book. I order you to fish them (the killers) out within 24 hours.”

The traditional ruler of Nkalaha community, Igwe Thompson  Ebe, said, “I had written a report to the governor and copied security agencies, because the problem started on January 20, up till January 31, 2025.

“We have continued to mediate between the Agila in Benue State and the Fulani herdsmen. I even invited them to my house in Abakaliki to talk to them about their cows that were allegedly killed. We have even made some arrests to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended. As we are still talking, this ugly incident of killings took place on Sunday.

“The herdsmen attacked a total of three villages; Amagu, Amaokwe and Umunesha. We are still recovering the bodies of the casualties. Now, the number has increased to 15, and we are looking for two others.”