- Kidnappers, bandits take over 4 local governments in Enugu state
- APC, opposition party members decry situation, accuse state government of inefficiency
- Police, security agents brace up, arrest hoodlums, kidnappers in the state
For the people of Enugu state, the state is gradually sliding into unprecedented level of security deterioration.
In the last three months now, kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements have literally taken over five local governments in the state, leaving about twelve for relatively free movement.
WITHIN NIGERIA investigations showed that these local governments which include Uzo-Uwani, Udenu, Igbo-Eze South and Nsukka are already on the jaws of kidnappers who daily unleash their terror on the residents.
Uzo-Uwani LG
On April 12, at least 25 people killed and scores injured in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area as insurgents, reportedly herdsmen, intensify attacks on agrarian communities.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that families are fleeing to Anambra and Kogi for safety, while others remain vigilant, fearing further violence in the region known as Enugu’s food basket.
Godwin Ezugwu, a member of the local vigilante group, recounted the terror, criticising the delayed security response. “The incident became horrifying as the new Enugu Police Commissioner, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, last week denied publicly that there was any sign of insecurity problems,” he said.
Ezugwu highlighted recent atrocities, including the machete killing of vigilante Chijioke Anioke at Ekenwaozege junction, the murder of Nwa Black in Opanda near Adani, and the kidnapping of ENTRACO driver Patty Ozor, with one passenger shot dead.
Community leaders, in an SOS to Governor Peter Mbah, expressed frustration over the inaction of Uzo-Uwani LGA Chairman Chijioke Ezugwu, a former vigilante leader now summoned for questioning. They reported frequent farmer abductions and killings over the past two months. Opinion leaders, citing DSS Director General Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, urged communities to arm themselves for self-defense, warning, “Fulanis have declared war on Nigerians, especially Southern Nigeria.”
A 2024 security summit proposed by Senator Chuka Utazi and Uzo-Uwani Professionals in Nsukka was reportedly ignored by the state government, deepening local concerns about unchecked insurgency.
On May 20, one person was shot dead while 10 people were kidnapped in separate attacks by gunmen in the council
Our reporter gathered that the attacks occurred between 20th and 21st May in two separate communities in the council area.
It was further revealed that the latest attacks began on Tuesday on the outskirts of the Umulokpa Community in the council area.
Further checks by WITHIN NIGERIA showed that the hoodlums, suspected to be herders, kidnapped Vincent Nweke, a chainsaw machine operator and the President-General of the community, Linus Ezeh.
Mr Ezeh, in a video clip obtained by this newspaper, said the gunmen first ambushed and kidnapped him near his rice farmland in the community.
However, the president-general narrated that the gunmen, numbering about six, then tied him to a tree before attacking Mr Nweke upon hearing the sound of his chainsaw machine in the nearby bush.
According to him the hoodlums, after abducting Mr Nweke, also tied him to a tree and later dragged both of them around the bush.
“Around 7 p.m., they dragged us to this place (pointing) and tied us to different trees. Five of them left to harvest yams from a farmland while one stayed back to monitor us.
“The chainsaw machine operator loosened the rope and began to run. Then, they shot him dead and left his body,” Mr Ezeh narrated in Igbo language.
The clip showed the decomposing body of Mr Nweke, the slain chainsaw machine operator.
Narrating his ordeal further, the president-general said that the following day, which was May 21, the hoodlums forced him to phone his relatives for ransom or he would be killed.
He said they initially asked for N30 million ransom before it was negotiated down to N2.5 million, which they picked at Ukpata Community in the same council area before releasing him in the community.
“They had asked my brother who brought the ransom to buy cigarettes for them, which he did. Upon arrival, they forced my brother to smoke one of the cigarettes first,” he said.
How the second attack happened
At about 5:47 p.m. on the same Wednesday, some gunmen ambushed and abducted nine people travelling from Eke Akiyi in Umulokpa Community to Iwollo, another community in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.
Though it remained unclear if they were the same gang that kidnapped the President-General and Mr. Nweke, but our findings showed that they have the same tactics and apply same method, ambush and shoot the travelers.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the attack occurred in Adaba Community at a boundary between Amagu, another village in Umulokpa, and Olo, a community in the Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were six women, a man and two teenage boys.
A community dweller, Okechukwu James identified the victims as Christiana Chukwuemeka, Sabina Okeke, Okorie Chukwuemeka, Albert Ugochukwu, and Eberechukwu Okoye.
Others were Nkem Collins, Nwankwo Charity, Eze Augustina, and Chijioke Ezieke.
They were, however, rescued on Thursday when some Adaba youths mobilised themselves and confronted the kidnappers inside a forest where the victims were forced into by the hoodlums.
The President-General of Adaba Community, Fabian Amalunwaeze, was said to have led the youths into the bush for the rescue operation.
One of the victims, Mrs Okeke, narrated, in another video clip, how the attack and rescue happened.
“We went to Umulokpa Market yesterday (Wednesday) and started travelling back after back to Iwollo after the day’s business.
“When we got to Amagu, Umulokpa, we noticed a gunshot on one of our vehicle tyres. We were still wondering before we saw armed men coming out of the bush.
“They ordered us to lie down, collected all our valuables from us and forced us to move into the bush. We all trekked throughout the night,” she narrated in Igbo language.
The woman said the hoodlums, later on Thursday, introduced themselves as kidnappers and informed them that they would pay N30 million ransom each or face death.
“I told them we hadn’t seen N30 million before, but they scolded me, saying we have been doing business in different markets.
“I responded that they had collected all we had made from yesterday’s business from us. And one of them slapped me,” Mrs Okeke said.
“They used our phones to call our relatives, informing each of them to pay N30 million or they would kill us and dump our bodies in the bush.”
The victim said they were planning to sleep off when some Adaba youths surfaced in the bush and confronted the hoodlums.
“The (suspected) herders fired shots at the youths and absconded immediately. The bullets did not hurt the community youths.
“They (the youths) came and rescued us from the valley of death,” she said.
However, one of the residents who identified himself as Anthony said attacks by suspected herders in the council area have been frequent in recent times.
Nsukka Local Government
On May 23, 2025 suspected herdsmen abducted a 20 year-old girl and a local farmer in Umabor community, Eha-Alumonah, Nsukka Local Government Area of the state.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the incident occurred on Friday evening along the Agu Umabor Road.
It was also revealed that the girl who was identified as Chinelo Ezugwu from Elugwu Umabor while the farmer whose name was Chinedu Asanya from Eziama Umabor.
It was gathered that the victims walked into an ambush laid by the armed herders who abducted the two victims while some of the road users ambushed by the gunmen managed to escape.
Our source explained that “I can confirm to you that my village has been surrounded by Fulani herdsmen and as I’m talking with you, two persons were kidnapped near my house. That happened yesterday (Friday) evening.
“As I’m talking to you now, tension has enveloped my community. Even to go there to evacuate my mother and my younger sister is becoming difficult because nobody knows when these people will strike again.
“We are in shock that these people (Fulani herdsmen) have finally entered our peaceful community. No place is safe any longer.
“Everybody is scared; they have made contact with the families of the victims, demanding for ransom.
“We are appealing to the State Government to come to our aid before these people run us out.
“His Excellency the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah should please send us help.
“We are under siege because that is the only access road that leads to Agu Umabor, there is no alternative; what it also means is that our people would be unable to go to farm anymore,” he lamented.
One of those who escaped from the bandits, said while he ran into the bush, he could hear the voice of the victims crying out for help.
Enugu police spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, could not be reached for reactions as of the time of filing this report.
Igbo-Eze South LGA
On April 27, 2025, eight persons including a newly ordained Reverend Sister were kidnapped by suspected hoodlums in Eburummiri, Ibagwa-Aka, Igbo-Eze south local government area of the state.
Expressing his shock and concern, the Member representing the local government in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Harrison Ogara said that it is painful to experience such security situation in the area.
According to Hon. Ogara, “more painful aspect of the story is that a young person who was hiding in the bush to evade the kidnappers was killed by the kidnappers’ stray bullet while they were making an escape from the community.
“I get worried that our innocent people in the villages could be terrorised by bandits without any challenges from any security agency. It is quite absurd that the police in the LG are poorly equipped to take on, on this level of criminality. Actually, the big elephant in the house is that as at the last time I checked, the Divisional Police in Ibagwa Aka had a total of about 32 policemen attached to it.
“Out of the 32, about 16 were attached to VIPs while 7 were suffering from one ailment or the other, leaving just about 9 officers to take care of over 500,000 people in Igbo Eze South. This is absolutely preposterous when you consider that Igbo Eze South LGA is at the boarder between Enugu and Kogi States.
“In the instant case, it is even more worrisome to note that the locals are suspected to be in cahoot with these bandits who ravage our otherwise quiet communities.
“I hereby call on police authority in the state to send more manpower and other logistics to support the DPO and his men to go after these kidnappers with a view to arresting and prosecuting them in a court of law.
“In the meantime, I empathise and commiserate with the affected families while assuring them that very soon, the long arm of the law must surely catch-up with those criminals.
Udenu LG
On April 16, kidnappers abducted eight individuals, including a priestess and four local farmers, at Ohebe Orba in the Udenu Local Government Area of the state.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered the incident occurred on Wednesday night, when the priestess was reportedly on her way to a river for rituals with three other worshippers.
Checks showed that the kidnappers contacted the families of the victims, initially demanding a ransom of N50 million, but later reduced to N15 million.
This recent abduction comes amid the recent release of 15 persons abducted at Ibagwa Agu farm settlement in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The 15 abductees were freed on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Few days before that, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers had abducted 13 persons, including Maurice Osmond, his son, and another child, in Ibagwa Agu community in Nsukka Local Government Area of the state on April 12, 2025.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of N10 million each for the release of the victims.
Chijinkem Ugwuanyi, an Enugu media personality, stated on Facebook, “These pictures here are some of the victims including Maurice Osmond who had come home with his son for the transition exam into St. John’s Secondary School, was kidnapped along the road to Agu Ibagwa-Ani while heading to see his in-laws”.
APC Raises Alarm Over Killings, Kidnappings
In what many observers have described as a damning indictment of Governor Peter Mbah’s administration, the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over the rising wave of insecurity ravaging the state—especially in the rural and agrarian regions.
The party, during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Enugu recently, condemned what it called “the criminal silence, ineptitude, and calculated suppression of news” about the persistent killings, kidnappings, and displacement of citizens in parts of the state.
According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the party fingered the Peter Mbah-led government for gross failure to provide security and protect the lives and property of citizens, accusing it of presiding over what it termed a “creeping reign of terror,” especially in Uzo-Uwani, Isi-Uzo, and other rural communities in Enugu North Senatorial Zone.
While much of Enugu city remains relatively calm, the APC expressed deep concern that the rural heartland of the state is under siege. The party cited the Ugwogo-Nike-Opi-Nsukka road, which has become notorious for violent abductions, murders, and armed robbery attacks. This strategic route connecting the capital to Northern Enugu and parts of Benue State has reportedly become a death trap for motorists and commercial transport operators.
“The Ugwogo-Nike-Opi-Nsukka axis has turned into a corridor of blood. People cannot travel without fear of being abducted, robbed, or killed,” the party lamented.
In its communique, the APC specifically noted the suffering of residents in Uzo-Uwani and Isi-Uzo LGAs, areas that have been heavily affected by marauding gunmen suspected to be armed herdsmen. The party said the victims of these violent invasions are mostly farmers who have lost access to their lands, means of livelihood, and in some cases, their lives.
Perhaps the most harrowing episode remains the ongoing tragedy in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo LGA. Once known for its rich farmlands and serene communities, Eha-Amufu is now a shadow of its former self. Armed groups suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have laid siege to the area, sacking no fewer than 44 farm settlements, collectively known as “Ndiagu,” and rendering hundreds of residents homeless.
The APC insists that the Peter Mbah administration has not only failed to address the crisis but is also deliberately suppressing media coverage of these events.
“The government wants to project a false image of peace and stability. They want investors and the international community to see Enugu as safe. But this is at the expense of truth and the lives of ordinary citizens,” the party stated.
The stakeholders accused the government of silencing whistleblowers, intimidating journalists, and blacklisting media houses that report on killings and kidnappings. They alleged that some local radio stations were warned not to air discussions on the security situation in Uzo-Uwani and Isi-Uzo.
“This is dictatorship cloaked in civilian clothing,” said an APC leader who attended the meeting. “This administration is more concerned with image laundering than with governance.”
The party also berated the state’s much-celebrated Command and Control Centre for failing to extend its operational effectiveness beyond Enugu metropolis.
“It is shameful that the state’s multimillion-naira Command and Control Centre cannot respond to distress calls or incidents beyond 10 kilometres from the capital city. The rural areas, where the majority of our people live, are completely exposed,” the communique noted.
The APC called on the government to decentralize security infrastructure and deploy rapid response units to rural communities.
Backing the party’s position, Senator Okey Ezea (Enugu North) voiced what many constituents feel: the North Senatorial Zone has been abandoned.
“Kidnappers and Fulani herdsmen have taken over our lands. Farmers cannot go to their farms. The schools are closing. The villages are emptying. What we are seeing is internal displacement on a scale never seen in Enugu,” the senator declared.
Ezea has repeatedly called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the affected LGAs or deploy special forces to restore order.
Critics of the state government argue that what is unfolding in Enugu is not just a security failure but a systemic breakdown of public accountability.
From the repeated attacks on communities in Eha-Amufu to the serial abductions on Enugu roads, the government’s silence is fast becoming the loudest sound.
Human rights activists and civil society groups are also beginning to raise their voices. A coalition of civil society organizations under the banner “Enugu Lives Matter” is reportedly planning a peaceful protest in Enugu next week to demand action.
“We cannot continue like this. If the government won’t speak up, we will. If the government won’t act, we will mobilize for self-defence,” said one of the organizers.
There are disturbing claims that some victims who attempt to report cases of abduction or violent attacks are being discouraged or threatened by security operatives.
A man whose brother was abducted in Uzo-Uwani recounted his experience: “When we went to report at the local police station, they told us not to say anything to the press. They said it would ‘escalate tensions.’ Meanwhile, the criminals are free, and we are prisoners in our own communities.”
The Enugu State Government, for its part, has so far issued only generic statements condemning “criminal elements” and promising to “work with security agencies to restore peace.” However, critics say these responses are reactive, vague, and lack substance.
Police swing into action, arrest suspects
As the security continues to worsen, on May 25, the Enugu State Police Command rescued 21 kidnapped victims, killed one suspect, and arrested another in a series of operations conducted over the weekend.
The operations also led to the recovery of a firearm, a vehicle, and other exhibits.
In a statement released by the command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, detailed the operations.
On May 23, operatives from Okpuje Division collaborated with Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards, and local hunters to raid a forest on the Enugu-Kogi border. Eight kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt after a gunfight in which one suspect was neutralised. Others fled with gunshot wounds.
On May 22, the Oji-River Police Area Commander led a joint team to Uvuru-Ukpata forest in Uzo-Uwani Council, rescuing nine victims abducted a day earlier along Olo-Umulokpa Road. “The suspects fled following an exchange of gunfire, and the victims were treated and safely reunited with their families,” Ndukwe said.
That same day, operatives from the 9th Mile Division responded to a distress call at Ekochin Layout, Udi Council, foiling an armed robbery attempt. “A cut-to-size single-barrel gun and an expended cartridge were recovered, while the suspects escaped. A manhunt is underway,” he added.
On May 21, officers from Udenu Division, working with Forest Guards and Neighbourhood Watch members, rescued two men from a forest in Amalla-Egazi. The victims had been kidnapped on May 16 in Ezimo community, Udenu Local Council. That same day, Uwani Division operatives rescued a female victim and recovered her Toyota Sienna vehicle at Gariki, Awkunanaw, Enugu.
On May 20, Awkunanaw Division operatives, supported by Neighbourhood Watch members, rescued a man abducted a day earlier and tied up in an uncompleted building in Akwuke-Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Council. “His captors had extorted N30,000 from his relatives before his rescue. One male suspect was arrested, while efforts to track down his accomplices are underway,” Ndukwe stated.
He conveyed the Commissioner of Police’s appreciation to the officers for their gallantry and urged them to sustain intelligence-driven operations. The Commissioner also called on the public to continue supporting the police and other security agencies.
However, at the moment, our reporter gathered that no part of the state especially rural roads is safe from the attacks by kidnappers and bandits.
WITHIN NIGERIA findings that many of the attacks in rural roads are under reported as many residents see it as a daily activity due largely to the deteriorating situation.
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