Women from the Ugwuleshi autonomous community in Awgu Local Council, Enugu State, stormed the palace of their traditional ruler, Igwe Godwin Nwobi, yesterday to protest the destruction of farmlands and the alleged raping and killing of natives by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The protesters also called for the immediate release of the town union President General, Aron Chidi, and the Chief Security Officer, Kingsley Ilo, who were arrested last week over the death of a herder near the community’s border with Ebonyi and Abia states.

Carrying placards and green leaves, the women lamented that hunger had become widespread as they could no longer access their farms due to the herdsmen’s activities. They reported the destruction of large quantities of rice, cassava, and yam farms by grazing cattle.

Mrs Ngozika Okolie and her daughter, Ukamaka, were among the victims of the violence, sustaining severe machete cuts when they tried to stop herders from feeding their cows on their cassava farm.

The women pleaded with the federal and state governments to intervene, stressing that farming was their primary source of livelihood. Mrs Felicia Okompi, the women’s spokesperson, stated that the community had lost millions in destroyed farmlands, leaving families struggling to survive.

She recounted gruesome murders, including those of Onyeka Chukwu and Chidozie Friday in 2023, whose mutilated bodies were found in their farms. She also mentioned Victor Okafor, who narrowly escaped with machete wounds, including a severed finger.

Survivors like Mrs Okolie and Mr Okafor expressed gratitude for being alive but displayed their scars as evidence of the attacks. Igwe Nwobi decried the persistent disturbances caused by herdsmen, noting that his subjects could no longer live in peace. He appealed to the Inspector General of Police for urgent intervention, describing the community as being in a state of fear and confusion.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Awgu Local Council, Uche Okolo, assured residents that efforts were underway to restore peace and security. Speaking through his media aide, Tochukwu Chukwu, he stated that the council had fully covered medical expenses for recent victims and urged residents to remain law-abiding. He clarified that the arrests were part of investigations into the death of the herder.