The police have confirmed the killing of three persons by gunmen in Ogbede-Mgbuji, Eva-Amufu Community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed in a statement on Friday, said the incident happened on Monday.
The gunmen, suspected to be herders, were said to have abducted an unknown number of persons from a neighbouring Ikem community during the attack.
Mr Ndukwe, however, said he had no report on the alleged abduction.
“The yet-to-be-identified assailants, on June 13, attacked and murdered three male victims, at Ogbede-Mgbuji area of the community, who were confirmed dead by doctors and deposited in mortuary for preservation and autopsy,” he said.
Mr Ndukwe said the insecurity in the area was caused by farmers-herders crisis within farm settlements in the community which borders Enugu and Benue States.
The police spokesperson said the police have begun a manhunt for the assailants.
He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Abubakar Lawal, visited the area on Friday alongside other security agencies to assess the security situation in the area.
The Director, State Security Service, H. M. Daluwa, the Commander, 82 Division Garrison Command of the Nigerian Army, M.K. Ibrahim, and the Commander, 553 Services Base Group of the Nigerian Airforce, Enugu, I.A. Taiwo, were among the delegation during the visit, Mr Ndukwe said.
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The police commissioner interacted with members of the community and assured them of the commitment of the security agencies “to decisively tackle the violent attacks in the area,” according to the police spokesperson.
Indigenes decry activities of herders
Some indigenes of the area who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES lamented that the herdsmen have been wreaking havoc in the community.
An indigenes of Ogbede-Mgbuji Community, who did not want her name mentioned in the report for fear of attack, told this newspaper, Thursday, that they have stopped fetching water from the river located around the farm settlement for fear of attacks by the suspected herders.
“Since they occupied the place, we are no longer going to Okpokwu River to fetch water. And that’s the main river serving the entire Mgbuji people,” she said.
“We are scared that if we go there, they might kill us or kidnap us,” she added, regretting that the community suffered water scarcity, during the dry season, despite having a river.
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