Pastor, Others Killed, Houses Razed As Suspected Herdsmen Attack Ebonyi Community

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen reportedly attacked and killed scores of people in the Amegu Nkalagha community, located in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on Sunday.

Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that the assailants, on Sunday morning, invaded the community and burnt down a significant number of structures, reducing them to ashes.

It was reported that a Pastor from a local Pentecostal Church was among the casualties of the attack.

This incident is thought to be a retaliatory act in response to the reported killing of cattle belonging to local herdsmen.

A member of the community, Professor Ndubuisi Idenyi, who spoke to Daily Post, noted that the assailants invaded the village in the early hours of Sunday, perpetrating violence that resulted in multiple fatalities and extensive property damage.

“I don’t have the number of casualties right now.

“We are still tracking and bringing out the dead bodies, especially those killed in the farms,” he said.

The anonymous source further stated that the members of the community were not accountable for the deaths of the cattle.

“We did not kill their cows. The cows were killed by members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the forest,” the source, who pleaded anonymity, said.

The chairperson of Isheilu Local Government Area, Ifeoma Peace Agwu, also confirmed the incident.

She said: “We are taking the victims’ bodies to the mortuary right now.

“I cannot talk much on it now. We will give more details later.”

However, when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer Ebonyi state command, DSP, Joshua Ukandu, told reporters that he was not aware of the attack.