ENUGU: Two suspects believed to have assisted armed herders in carrying out a deadly attack on Eha-Amufu community in Enugu State have been arrested by the Nigeria Police in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.
The suspects reportedly acted as informants, leaking intelligence on local security operations and guiding the attackers into the farming settlement.
One of the arrested suspects, 26-year-old Matthew Ebeh, is alleged to have led the attackers into the community. He was reportedly apprehended after a resident managed to escape and raise an alarm.
The second suspect, a woman whose identity remains undisclosed, is said to have collaborated with Ebeh in providing logistical support to the armed herdsmen.
According to Uche Anichukwu, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on External Relations, the arrests were made shortly after the brutal incident that left at least 12 residents dead and many others missing or displaced.
The Enugu State government confirmed the arrests on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by AIG Abayomi Oladipo, Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 13.
Governor Peter Mbah used the opportunity to reiterate his administration’s commitment to making Enugu one of the safest states in Nigeria, despite what he described as malicious disinformation campaigns aimed at tarnishing the state’s security image.
Governor Mbah strongly condemned the attack and assured residents that all individuals responsible whether attackers or their collaborators would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. He emphasized that his administration had zero tolerance for insecurity and criminality.
We do not have any tolerance for insecurity or crime in Enugu State. We will continue to work with security agencies to ensure peace and safety in every corner of the state,” the governor said.
He also warned that efforts to destabilize the state using false narratives or manipulated social media content would fail, reaffirming that Enugu remains secure and focused on development
Highlighting ongoing security improvements, Mbah pointed to the state’s new AI-powered surveillance systems, a modern Command and Control Centre, and a Distress Response Squad supported by a fleet of over 150 operational vehicles.
He said these initiatives are part of a strategic security architecture aimed at making Enugu attractive to investors, residents, and tourists. Mbah reiterated that achieving the administration’s economic growth target from $4.4 billion to $30 billion depends on a secure environment.
We knew from day one that security would be key to transforming our economy, so we made significant investments and policy commitments to strengthen security at all levels
Earlier in the meeting, AIG Abayomi Oladipo praised the Enugu State Government for what he called “tangible progress in ensuring the safety of lives and property.
He said he had been thoroughly briefed by commissioners of police in Enugu and Anambra and confirmed that inter-agency strategies were now in place to further improve security coordination.
I can confidently say that the measures we have deployed are yielding results. We appreciate the governor’s support and his administration’s collaboration with the police and other law enforcement agencies, Oladipo said.
The recent violence in Eha-Amufu is part of a long-running crisis in border communities between Enugu and Benue states, often marked by attacks attributed to suspected herdsmen.
On Sunday, June 15, 2025, armed assailants stormed the rural community, killing at least 12 people and displacing dozens more.
Frightened residents fled their homes and farmlands, with many still unaccounted for days after the incident. The attack has reignited national debates around rural security, herder-farmer clashes, and the role of informants and community insiders in enabling such violence.
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Security in Nigeria’s Southeast: The arrests highlight ongoing tensions and violence in Nigeria’s southeast, especially between farming communities and armed herders.
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Enugu’s Development Agenda: With significant investments in security infrastructure, the Enugu State government is aiming to boost investor confidence and achieve its ambitious economic transformation goals.
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Federal-State Collaboration: The renewed synergy between Enugu State and federal police authorities could lead to more robust prevention strategies and quicker response times to threats.
