Palpable fear, trepidation and indeed apprehension have returned in Ukpata community in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu state as alleged herdsmen attack in the area has left one dead while several persons were seriously injured.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the attack took place on Thursday, October 29 in their farm settlement.
A resident of the community, Magnus Ekwueme told our reporter in a telephone chat that their community is a no-go-area as a result of high level of insecurity in the area.
“We are currently in a high security situation. Many of our residents were injured in their farm on Thursday by Fulani herdsmen.
” Fear and anxiety have taken over our community. We can’t go to our farm again neither can we go to other towns like Nsukka because these hoodlums have taken over our land.”
Narrating further, Ekwueme said that Ekele Ezechi was attacked and killed on Thursday in his own farm by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
“This is too painful. How long shall we continue like this?
“This constant attacks and killings in Uzo-Uwani, mostly in Ukpata Community, is becoming unbearable for our people. Our farmers can no longer access their farmlands, and road users cannot pass freely without the help of police DRS TEAM.
“We cannot keep losing our people like this when we have a Government”.
Human Rights Lawyer Raises Alarm Over Insecurity In The Community
Few days to the latest incident, a human rights lawyer and social critic, Sir Ifeanyichukwu Ejiofor, has called on Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to urgently intervene in the growing security crisis in Ukpata community.
Ejiofor warned that continued inaction could expose more ancestral lands to alleged encroachment by armed criminal groups.
Ejiofor made the appeal in his strongly worded article entitled “A Desecrated Homeland, A Terrified People: Governor Peter Mbah, the Time to Reclaim Ukpata Is Now; Reclaim Ukpata and Uzo-Uwani Before a De Facto Territorial Conquest Becomes Irreversible”, and posted in his verified social media account.
In the article, the lawyer highlighted concerns raised by Chief Eziuche Linus, the Onowu of Ukpata, over alleged attacks, the occupation of farmlands and the growing insecurity confronting residents of the agrarian community.
Describing the community leader as the voice of a people facing uncertainty over the safety of their homeland, Ejiofor said the account contained in an audio message painted a disturbing picture of alleged territorial encroachment, displacement and threats to residents’ livelihoods.
According to him, armed groups allegedly operating from surrounding forests have reportedly occupied farmlands, leaving members of the community fearful of losing access to their ancestral properties.
“Ukpata is an agrarian community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, whose people depend predominantly on farming for their survival,” Ejiofor stated, stressing that the reported developments require urgent attention from the state government and relevant security agencies.
Ejiofor further raised concerns over allegations that women had suffered sexual violence on ancestral farmlands and that residents who challenged the alleged armed occupants faced threats.
He described the reported incidents as a serious assault on human dignity, communal life and the fundamental rights of residents to live, farm and move freely without fear.
“What ought to be an unthinkable violation of human dignity is, according to this disturbing testimony, becoming a terrifying reality,” he said.
The lawyer called for a comprehensive and independent investigation into the allegations, urging security agencies to establish the facts, identify those responsible for any criminal acts and ensure that victims and vulnerable residents receive adequate protection.
He also questioned the adequacy of the existing security response, asking what measures were being taken to secure the forests, protect farming communities and restore confidence among residents.
Ejiofor appealed directly to Governor Mbah to deploy the necessary security resources to address the situation, investigate the reported occupation of farmlands and facilitate the safe return of any displaced families.
He urged the governor to seek additional support where necessary, warning that allowing armed criminal elements to operate unchecked could further undermine public safety and the authority of the state.
“Ukpata is in Enugu State. These are your people. Their ancestral lands fall within your jurisdiction, and their cries must not go unanswered. Something must be done, and it must be done now,” he said.
He also called for a coordinated response involving relevant security agencies and forest security personnel, insisting that rural communities should not be left exposed to persistent threats.
According to Ejiofor, the situation requires immediate action to protect residents, secure farmlands and prevent further displacement.
The human rights lawyer warned that failure to address the reported incidents could lead to more families losing access to their farms and ancestral properties.
He cautioned that what might begin as the alleged occupation of individual farmlands could develop into a wider crisis if the authorities failed to act decisively.
“If the alleged territorial encroachment is allowed to continue unchecked, there is a grave danger that more ancestral lands will be lost, more families displaced and more communities reduced to frightened spectators in their own homeland,” Ejiofor warned.
He maintained that protecting Ukpata should be treated not merely as a local security concern but as a test of the state’s commitment to safeguarding lives, property and the rights of vulnerable rural communities.
Ejiofor also called on Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo youths to pay attention to the reported plight of the community, urging stakeholders to prioritise the safety and preservation of ancestral lands.
He acknowledged Governor Mbah’s performance in other areas of governance, he urged the governor not to allow the reported security challenges to escalate into a broader humanitarian crisis.
“The people of Ukpata deserve protection, not abandonment; security, and the assurance that no community will be sacrificed to the advance of armed violence,” he said.
Ejiofor concluded by urging the state government to act before the situation deteriorates further, stressing that the protection of residents and their ancestral lands must remain a priority.
“The time for urgent intervention is now. Let history record that when the alarm was sounded, decisive action followed, not that the cries of a threatened community were ignored until the damage became irreversible,” he stated.
He ended his message with the Igbo expression, “Osita dị mma, ọ dịbara gboo.”
LG boss visits the community
However, as the tension continued to rise over the recent incident, the local government council chairman Barr.Chijioke Ezugwu has made a brief visit to community to commiserate with family of victim.
In a swift response to the tragic incident, Barr. Ezugwu paid a condolence visit to the grieving family of the victim, issuing a stern directive to security agencies to immediately hunt down and arrest the perpetrators.
He however, pleaded the indigenes to cooperate with security agencies by providing intelligent information and also monitor movement especially at night.
Ezugwu further warned that nobody should take laws into their hands but allow security agencies to discharge their duties.
He went further to caution the indigenes to desist from attacking cows as such would escalate tension.
The Chairman assured them that the government feels their pain and will stand by them.
