The Enugu State Police Command has dismissed claims that herdsmen have taken over homes and schools in the Eha-Amufu community. The Command described the allegations as misleading and an attempt to cause panic among residents.
Speaking in a statement on Wednesday, the police spokesperson, Superintendent Daniel Ndukwe, said that a viral online report suggesting that Eha-Amufu was under siege was completely false. He stated that after careful investigation, the police found no evidence to support the claims.
“The report is baseless, mischievous, and a calculated attempt to mislead the public and instill fear,” Ndukwe said.
He further explained that the farm settlements reportedly taken over by herdsmen are not permanent homes but temporary shelters used by farmers. These farmers, according to him, return to their villages after working on their farms. He also noted that while there were previous farmer-herder clashes in 2021 and 2022, peace has since been restored to the area.
Ndukwe noted that the Enugu State Government, under Governor Peter Mbah, has made significant efforts to strengthen security in Eha-Amufu and surrounding areas. These efforts include the deployment of 150 military personnel and Special Forces, the construction of security barracks, and the near completion of a 21.7-kilometer access road connecting several farm settlements.
The police spokesperson criticized the medium that published the report, stating that it failed to verify its claims. He added that images used in the report were misleading, as they were taken from past incidents in other states and falsely presented as recent events in Eha-Amufu.
Ndukwe pointed out that pictures of burnt houses posted by Amnesty International, which condemned an attack on February 4 in a neighboring state, were wrongly linked to the situation in Enugu.
In response to the report, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, urged residents to ignore the false claims. He reassured the public of the police’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in the state.
“The command calls on citizens, particularly those in Eha-Amufu, to remain law-abiding, cooperate with security agencies, and report any genuine security concerns through official channels,” the statement read.
