The Abia State government has officially confirmed a deadly attack carried out by suspected armed herdsmen in the Umunneochi Local Government Area. Though exact casualty numbers were not disclosed, the attack reportedly claimed several lives and has triggered heightened concern across the region.
Speaking during a press briefing at the Government House in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, acknowledged a serious security breach in the area. “There have been some security breaches in the Umunneochi area of the state, leading to some fatalities,” he stated, adding that the state’s entire security network has been activated to confront the crisis.
Kanu assured citizens that the government is committed to confronting the threat head-on and would deploy every available resource to secure the affected communities and prevent a recurrence.
This latest incident in Abia mirrors a string of similar violent episodes in neighbouring Enugu State, where suspected Fulani herdsmen have repeatedly attacked local villages, leaving trails of death and displacement. One of the most recent of such attacks occurred in the Agu-Amed Autonomous Community, Eha-Amufu, in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, where at least seven people were killed and two others declared missing.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the attackers were dropped from helicopters that hovered over the community during the raid, which took place around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. “There is fear and uncertainty in my community,” said resident Osita Ogenyi. “Armed Fulani herdsmen stormed Agu-Amed on Sunday evening. Seven people were brutally killed and their bodies recovered; two remain missing.”
Ogenyi further described the attack as coordinated and brutal. “They entered the village without making noise or firing any guns at first. They were slaughtering people with machetes. It wasn’t until word got out that they began shooting, and by then, they had already done a lot of damage and quickly escaped.”
The attack has reignited concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Enugu State. Community leaders expressed deep frustration, lamenting the government’s apparent helplessness and failure to stop the killings. They also criticized the lack of proactive measures to resolve the escalating farmer-herder conflicts.
Notably, the recent Agu-Amed incident comes barely three months after a protest by women from seven autonomous communities in Eha-Amufu, who demanded action over continued attacks by herdsmen. According to local reports, at least 152 individuals were killed in Eha-Amufu by suspected herdsmen between 2021 and March 2025. The latest killings have pushed that number up to 163.
Back in Abia, the state government has reiterated its resolve to tackle the unfolding crisis, vowing to take decisive and far-reaching action to stop further bloodshed. The rising tension between herders and farmers in the region has been blamed for the growing number of clashes, with locals accusing herdsmen of destroying farms and livelihoods.
The situation in both Abia and Enugu states underscores a broader national emergency — the unchecked rise in violent conflicts between farmers and herders. Stakeholders are now urging state and federal authorities to step up and implement concrete, long-lasting security and policy reforms to protect vulnerable communities and bring perpetrators to justice.
