At least fifteen people were killed on Monday evening when suspected herdsmen attacked four villages in Ebonyi State.
The attack took place in Umuhuali, Nkalaha, Obeagu, Nkalagu, and Amazu in Ishielu Local Government Area of the southeast state, further raising concerns about the country’s security.
Eyewitnesses say the gunmen were shooting sporadically, killing the victims in different areas of the communities. They equally set ablaze motorcycles belonging to residents of the affected communities.
According to them, the communities have been living peacefully with herders, saying the attack came to them by surprise.
“There has not been a situation whereby we got into a quagmire with them,” one of them added. “We have been living peacefully. Suddenly, we wake up with corpses as gifts.”
Governor David Umahi had also visited the affected communities on Tuesday and condemned the attack by the suspected AK-47 wielding gunmen.
While expressing sadness over the incident, the Ebonyi governor assured the people that the government will do all within its powers to bring the perpetrators to justice. He also called on security operatives to help in fishing out those behind the heinous crime.
“Good enough, we have some traces of the sponsors; we have the traces of those who came here,” the governor added. “I will not disclose it, but I am going to escalate the identities of the people to the highest authorities and we wait to see what they will do.”
