Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO), a Non-Governmental Organization, has condemned unprovoked killings in Aguamede Eha-Amufu community in Enugu State and in Yelewata, Guma LGA in Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen and called for a decisive action by relevant authorities.
The Executive Director of the organization, Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, in a three-page statement entitled, “Enough is Enough,” on Thursday in Enugu, said that the heart-wrenching atrocities were not only acts of mass violence, but grave violations of fundamental human rights of the victims.
Ilechukwu noted that the tragic events have once again exposed the deepening security crisis that had been allowed to fester for far too long in the Middle Belt and South-East regions.
He said, “On Sunday, June 15, the quiet community of Aguamede, Eha-Amufu, in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, was thrown into mourning.
“Armed assailants, suspected to be herdsmen, invaded in the community in the late afternoon while some residents were still in church, and began a cold and calculated massacre.
“By the time the village stirred in panic, more than 10 people had been slaughtered in their homes, their skulls split open.This tragedy comes only a week after a similar attack in nearby Mbuji community claimed four lives.
“For over eight years, communities in Eha-Amufu and Ikem have cried out enduring attacks, displacement, and trauma, with their pain often overlooked because it is rural, it is quiet and it is far from the newspaper headlines.”
He said that in Benue, on June 13, the people of Yelewata were struck in the night as over 200 persons were massacred, families burnt alive; while a father lost 20 members of his household both children and pregnant women.
The executive director said that the violence was not random as it came after repeated threats; adding that these are not isolated incidents, but part of a long-standing and painful crisis in the Middle Belt and South-East regions.
Ilechukwu said that SSDO was making the following demands: “Federal, Enugu and Benue States Governments, National Assembly, and security agencies to strengthen rural security architecture, increase and sustain joint military and police patrols in vulnerable boundary communities.
“Provide structured support for local vigilante groups, including formal training and legal recognition, in coordination with state laws.
“Scale up implementation of grazing and land-use laws and support Benue and Enugu States to implement their anti-open grazing laws, while promoting peaceful livestock management solutions such as ranching, with Federal investment in alternative livelihoods for nomadic communities.
“Establish community dialogue platforms via facilitation of peace and reconciliation dialogues between herder and farming communities, especially in flashpoint areas, with the involvement of traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women.”
He called for launching of a Rural Crisis Recovery and Support Fund, which would be a special intervention fund for families affected by these attacks to help with burial support, trauma care, rebuilding of homes and restoration of farmlands.
The executive director advocated for a National Early Warning and Response System, adding that there was a need to build on existing frameworks to digitally track threats, respond to local intelligence swiftly, and ensure that reported threats are never ignored again.
“Let this be the moment our nation chooses compassion, protection, and justice, not just for those in the cities, but for every mother in Aguamede Eha-Amufu, every father in Yelewata, and every child still afraid to return home,” the statement added.
