NewStats: 3,265,158 , 8,185,824 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 04:46 PM 6w105x

Enugu Police Command Summons Council Chairman For Setting Up Vigilante Group To Go After Killer Herdsmen

According to security sources, Ezugwu was invited twice with his vigilante group to the state police command headquarters through the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations.

The police in Enugu State have summoned the Chairman of the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Mr Chijioke Ezugwu, over allegations that he and his vigilante group have been combing forests and going after killer herdsmen, SaharaReporters has learnt.

According to security sources, Ezugwu was invited twice with his vigilante group to the state police command headquarters through the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations.


The D, a northerner, reportedly interrogated the council chairman "on the allegations of killing herdsmen."

"The aim was to stop the council chairman from flushing out the criminals and kidnappers who have been masquerading as herders to unleash terror on the people," the source disclosed.

The police reportedly wanted him to make a statement under caution, but the chairman refused, citing his legal background and duty to protect his people.

Ezugwu, according to the source, explained that the actions of his vigilante group were necessary to protect his people from attacks and kidnappings, stating, "You know the dire situation in my area and we have to be armed to go into the forest to protect our people."

The matter is said to have been taken up by Governor Peter Mbah, who intervened to prevent Ezugwu from being taken to the Force Headquarters Abuja, where the D felt his associaties would be able to bring up trumped-up charges against the council chairman.

The circumstances surrounding the governor's intervention have also raised suspicions, given the alleged connections between the governor and northern interests.

"In the past months, several people in the council area have been killed and farmlands destroyed. So many have also been kidnapped and millions of naira paid in ransom. Some are still under their captors," lamented another source.

"Of most recent is the killing of a 90-year-old man and wife in Nimbo. It should also be noted that marauding herdsmen not only operate from the forest but they come into people's homes.

"Now the chairman took the bold step to protect his people and started going into the forest, that the police didn't respond to all these problems and killings but now, he is being harassed by the police," said another source.

SaharaReporters reported on June 2, how a 90-year-old man, Elder Otiakugwu, and his wife were allegedly killed in their home at Ekwuru village of Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani LGA by assailants suspected to be marauding herdsmen who had made life miserable for local communities.

The unfortunate incident, which was latest in the series of carnage going on for months in the Council Area occurred on last Wednesday.

The witnesses had told SaharaReporters that the victims' grandchild had visited them earlier and returned to school, unaware of the danger that awaited them.

"The assailants entered Ekwuru village of Nimbo unnoticed, met the nonagenarian and his wife eating. They killed them and dropped their blood soaked machete on their body and fled under the cover of the night. It was in the following morning being Thursday that they were seen lying dead in the pool of blood," said the witnesses.

The community is still reeling from the shock of the brutal killing, with many questioning the motive behind the attack. "What may have been the offence of the oldest man of the community and his wife to be gruesomely killed?" residents lamented.

This incident has reignited fears in the community, which has been plagued by attacks from Fulani herdsmen in the past. In 2016, about 12 indigenes were killed in a similar attack. Since then, the community has been under siege, with reports of killings, rapes, and destruction of farmlands.

On May 18, SaharaReporters reported the killing of seven farmers in Daba and Nimbo communities in Uzo-Uwani LGA and the kidnap of six others by marauding herdsmen.

Those killed were from Aku community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu but who were farming at Daba community in Uzo-Uwani council area.

It was reported that the assailants equally abducted three farmers from the community.

An indigene of Nimbo community identified as Simon Odenigbo was equally killed in a separate attack at Ekulu village. After the killing, the suspected kidnapers proceeded to Abbi community, and abducted three people.

No fewer than 36 people had been confirmed killed in various attacks across Uzo-Uwani local government with little police efforts to arrest the killers who regularly infiltrated the communities from neighbouring Kogi and Benue States.

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters' efforts to speak with the Command's spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe over the development were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls as at the time of filing this report.

Also, Mr Ezugwu did not take his calls when SaharaReporters reached out to him or respond to a text message seeking his comment on the incident.

https://saharareporters.com/2025/06/04/enugu-police-command-summons-council-chairman-setting-vigilante-group-go-after-killer

Nigeria police is a mess.

Fulani herdsmen will cause a civil war in this country

SeeAllen:
Nigeria police is a mess.

Shit is what they are ,cux mess na compliment

One Nigeria

SeeAllen:
Fulani herdsmen will cause a civil war in this country

And Tinubu is enabling them, you see why I said Tinubu will be the last person to approve state police or regional government in Nigeria.

Forget all the propaganda they keep popping out about him doing such.

Later some people want Nigerians to believe IPOB and ESN are the terrorist groups in the south east

The senate should a law that s and Ds serving in any geopolitical zone must be from that zone. What's a northern D doing in the southeast?

So make he dey look make them murder and kidnappe his people finished abi?

One Nigeria

ThroneNGamez:

https://saharareporters.com/2025/06/04/enugu-police-command-summons-council-chairman-setting-vigilante-group-go-after-killer

Una dey see nonsense.

DSS DG said Nigerians should defend themselves, and this man is proactively doing so.

What is police wahala inside it again?

How many distress calls did they respond to where people were being butchered?

You can imagine.....how many of the herdsmen terrorising Enugu state has he summoned.

Solong as the vigilante has no affiliation with Ipob or ESN....leave them be Mr governor.

I am forced to believe people that perceive Nigeria's security architecture as enablers of the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen.

Who suppose set am B4?

Ok

You make a Fulani man the D of a place and expect him to go after his people who are marauding herdsmen? You must be delusional. He was deliberately posted there to protect them. The council chairman should not fold.

I think it is high time we should allow DPO and DCO of all forces to be member of the community. Allowing northerners to head southern districts should stop.
.

This is my LGA.

Nawaooo, please Sahara reporters tell us his name. Oh! Google can help us...

Njgerian police force is the worst command in the world. The life of an Enugu man is now that of the jungle. Anything can happen anytime.

Vigilante group are better alternatives. Ok, if not, find another security solution.

FG tactics to handicap our people at the mercy of the marauding killers.

You can't hear such in the north

ThroneNGamez:

https://saharareporters.com/2025/06/04/enugu-police-command-summons-council-chairman-setting-vigilante-group-go-after-killer

This shows that the security services want the fulanis to kill people, they dont want the killings to stop

Continue on ur good work Mr Chairman

Even Nl is pro-jihadists.

what's the governor stand in all this
He is supposed to be the chief security officer of the state.

Because the fulanis don't hid their motive and agenda any more .

Stop sending Northerners to the East as Commissioners of Police. Let them go to the vast North and police their people, while the Eastern and SW police their own people.

Some of the Northern officers harbour hatred against Southerners.

Thiz is the game plan

This is why state police is necessary it's very clear the federal security agents are backing these fulani killers in the south.

air force and army 🪖 bomb 💣 vigilantes going after kidnappers in the North, Police 🚓 arrest LGA chairman arming vigilantes to go after kidnappers in the South 👇...... interesting 🤔


If terrorism in any form lasts more than 6 months in a country the government in power is ing it ~ Lt Gen. Sani Abacha

Summary 😒😒


The Enugu State Police Command has summoned Mr. Chijioke Ezugwu, Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, for allegedly leading a local vigilante group into forests to confront suspected killer herdsmen. Security sources say he was invited twice by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (D), Operations—reportedly a northerner—over accusations including the alleged killing of herdsmen. Ezugwu, citing his legal background and duty to protect his people, declined to make a statement under caution.

Local sources claim the vigilante efforts were necessary due to the failure of security agencies to curb recurring violence, kidnappings, and killings attributed to herdsmen. The governor, Peter Mbah, intervened to stop Ezugwu’s possible transfer to Force Headquarters in Abuja, raising suspicions due to his alleged ties with northern interests.

Recent violence includes the brutal killing of a 90-year-old man and his wife in Nimbo, reportedly by herdsmen, reigniting fear in a community already traumatized by years of attacks. Since 2016, Uzo-Uwani has suffered waves of violence, with over 36 deaths and repeated incidents of rape, abduction, and farmland destruction. In May, seven farmers were killed and six others kidnapped in the area. Locals accuse the police of inaction and Ezugwu's initiative to defend the community.

Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach the police spokesperson and Mr. Ezugwu for comments were unsuccessful.

It is very unfortunate there is NPF!