Herdsmen Attacks Displace 7,000, Force 1,000 Children Out Of School In Enugu

Over 1,000 children have been forced out of school due to the ongoing crisis in Abor Isiala and Iheenyi communities in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria, according to a coalition of civil society organisations.

The coalition, comprising the South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO) and the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), stated that the crisis began in 2022 and has displaced at least 7,000 residents, resulting in the loss of lives, businesses, and property.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Enugu, the coalition attributed the displacement to repeated attacks by armed herdsmen attempting to graze in the area.

SaharaReporters recently reported that women from the seven autonomous communities in Eha-Amufu staged a protest after[b] a final-year student was killed and a woman was raped while returning from the farm.[/b]

The coalition condemned the escalating attacks, which they said have claimed hundreds of lives and devastated businesses and property.

They revealed that over 1,064 children remain out of school, while only 456 have managed to return since the crisis began.

Director, JDPC, Enugu, Rev. Fr Donatus Onuigbo, stated that the situation in the two communities and other surrounding communities “is not just a tragedy, but an ongoing humanitarian crisis that has left countless families broken and displaced”

Onuigbo added that many have left their farms and businesses.

He said: “These communities have endured brutal attacks that have spiralled into violent confrontations. Armed herdsmen and their collaborators have wreaked havoc, driven communities from their homes and upended the lives of those who once thrived there.

“What makes the crisis even more disturbing is the disproportionate impact it has had on women and children. They bear the brunt of this violence in the most harrowing way, including facing hunger, disease and physical assault.

“Some women have suffered brutal sexual violence, and children, who should be in school, are now left traumatised, displaced, and deprived of an education.

“The attack on farmlands has also left communities without a means of survival and the economic fallout from the destruction of crops and businesses continues to deepen the crisis, and there is no sign that this suffering will end unless immediate and decisive action is taken.”

Onuigbo, who was flanked by members of the communities, stated that despite the deployment of security forces intermittently in the area, the attack has become a yearly occurrence.

“We cannot stand by and allow this crisis to continue without action. We, therefore, call on the state government, under the leadership of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to take immediate and concrete steps to address the suffering of the people of Abor Isiala and Ihenyi communities and other communities affected by this conflict without delay,” he said.

He also called on the state government to provide immediate humanitarian relief for the affected families, which should include cash for food, clothing, survival kits and medical supplies.
Onuigbo urged the government to take decisive action by identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those responsible for the attacks in the region.

He also called for the restoration of normalcy, including facilitating the return of children to school and rebuilding the lives of farmers and business owners who had suffered devastating losses.

SaharaReporters learnt that at least 42 farm settlements across four autonomous communities in Eha-Amufu have been overrun by marauding herdsmen, leaving residents displaced and forced to seek refuge in neighbouring areas.

Source:- Saharareporters