Eha-Amufu in Enugu State was completely shut down as thousands of women took to the streets to protest the killings and attacks by armed herdsmen.
More than 1,000 women from seven communities blocked a two-kilometre stretch of the Nkalagu-Eha-Amufu-Ikem-Obollo-Afor Federal Highway, demanding urgent government intervention. The demonstration, which began on March 4, continued through March 6, 2025, as the women decried the worsening insecurity in their communities.
According to protest leader Angela Ogenyi, the women have suffered relentless attacks, including killings, displacement, and sexual violence, since 2021.
“We are being raped, beaten, and mutilated by criminal herdsmen for stopping their cattle from eating our crops,” she said. “Our sons and husbands can no longer go to their farms. I have seen a situation where a herder inserted sticks into the private parts of our women. We can’t continue like this.”
The protesters claimed that security agencies and government officials have failed to address the crisis, allowing the violence to persist. They accused the Chairman of Isi-Uzo Local Government, Obiora Obeagu, of downplaying the severity of the attacks by claiming that the protests were politically sponsored.
“He is from Mgbuji autonomous community, yet he doesn’t know that farm settlements in his community have been overrun by herdsmen for over two years,” Angela Ogenyi stated.
Reports indicate that at least 150 people have been killed, and herdsmen between 2020 and 2025 have occupied 28 farm settlements. The escalating conflict has left thousands displaced, with many residents abandoning their farmlands due to fear of attacks.
The women protesters vowed to continue their demonstrations until the government takes decisive steps to ensure their safety.
“We cannot keep silent while our people are being killed,” one of the protesters declared. “If they kill all of us before 2027, there will be no one left to vote. Those in power must take responsibility.”
The situation in Eha-Amufu remains tense as women await concrete action from the authorities to address the growing insecurity in the region.
