Enugu, February 24, 2026 –SUNTV Global Channel
Fear and anger have gripped Onolieze community in the Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State after a farmer, Mr. Ogechukwu Mba, was shot dead by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen while working on his farmland on February 20.
Community leaders say the incident is part of a disturbing pattern of attacks that have turned their ancestral lands into “a theater of unprovoked violence.”
In a statement released by Malachi Onyia on behalf of the Concerned Stakeholders of Onolieze Community, residents described Mba’s killing as another blow to a community already traumatized by repeated assaults.
“We lost one of our gallant officers from Onoli, Mr. Ogechukwu Mba, who was shot by Fulanis in his farmland,” the statement read.
“Sustained attacks by suspected herdsmen have caused senseless loss of lives, displacement of families, and the systematic destruction of our community’s social fabric.”
The insecurity has reportedly crippled farming activities, forcing residents to abandon their lands for fear of being killed.
“Farmers, who are the backbone of the local economy, can no longer cultivate their lands without the looming shadow of death,” the group said, describing the attacks as “an assault on the dignity, safety, and fundamental right to life of peaceful citizens.”
Tensions escalated further over the weekend when residents staged peaceful protests over the killing and what they described as government inaction. According to sources, soldiers deployed to the area allegedly turned on the demonstrators instead of confronting the armed attackers.
“Instead of the Nigerian Army going after the killers, they turned their guns on our villagers, accusing them of being members of IPOB and ESN,” a community source lamented.
Requests for confirmation from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful, with Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division in Enugu, not responding to calls.
The stakeholders are now calling on both the Enugu State government and the federal government to intervene urgently. They warned that “the limits of civilian resilience have been reached,” demanding immediate deployment of security personnel, intelligence collaboration with local communities, and the establishment of a permanent security presence in the Onolieze axis.
Residents say the latest attack has sent shockwaves through neighboring villages, with many families fleeing their homes. The community paid tribute to those killed in previous attacks, honoring them as “heroes and heroines whose lives were cut short defending their homes.”
The violence mirrors similar clashes in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and southern regions, where farming communities have repeatedly accused armed herdsmen of attacks, land encroachment, and killings.
The Enugu State Police Command spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, told SUNTV Global Channel that he was not aware of the incident at the time of reporting.
