From Fred Ezeh (Abuja) and Jude Chinedu (Enugu)
Suspected armed Fulani herdsmen on Friday invaded Mgbuji and Ebo communities in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, killing eight people, including a pregnant woman and destroying farmlands.
Several houses and motorcycles were said to have been burnt while many residents of the communities were still missing after the attack, which affected seven farm settlements in the two communities.
It was learnt that the youths of the communities had a few weeks ago chased some herders out of their farms for allegedly allowing their cows to destroy hectares of cassava plantation.
Some cows were said to have been killed during the incident causing the herdsmen to launch a reprisal attack.
Some community leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the herdsmen invaded the settlements at about 3pm on Thursday with AK-47 rifles and shot indiscriminately.
“After soldiers left the community for about four days, the Fulani herdsmen launched the attack on Thursday. When we heard rumours that they were preparing to invade our communities, we promptly alerted the police and the military.
“What we don’t know is why all the soldiers deployed to the settlements were withdrawn. I must tell you that except one soldier from the South-South, all the soldiers deployed to the community were northern Muslims. On one of the occasions, they even opened fire on our local vigilantes who were patrolling the settlements to repel attacks by the invaders.