The Enugu State Police Command has asked residents of Mgbuji Community in Isi Uzo Local Government Area of the State to sign an undertaking and assign land to Fulani Herdsmen before they could release corpses of victims of herdsmen attack.
Herdsmen raided the community on Sunday, killing eight persons and injuring many others.
The Sunday attack is the fourth on the community since 2019 and the second in three months.
In May, herdmen also attacked the community, killing no less than nine persons.
The Enugu state government and the state police command have remained silent since the killing occurred, with the police spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe promising to get back to our correspondent when contacted but never did despite repeated reminders.
Chinaza Akan, one of the survivors of the attack told our correspondent that she narrowly survived the attack.
According to her, the killer-herdsmen came through a border community in Benue State.
She said that one Ogechi Ogenyi, a pregnant woman was killed and her stomach ripped open.
She added that the herders removed the foetus and slit the throat of others.
Standard Observers had reported that the stomach of another pregnant woman, Chinyere Ede was also ripped open while her husband and son had their throats slits by the herders.
Akan said the victims were returning from a marriage ceremony.
She identified another victim of the attack as 28-year-old Ogbuabor John Udoka, a recent graduate of the Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.
Other residents of the community accused the police in the state of aiding the attackers.
“The police asked our community to sign an undertaking before they could release the corpses of our community members killed in previous attacks for burial.
“Part of the undertaking was that our community should allocate land to the Fulani people, accept and live together with them whenever they return to the community.
“Our people refused to sign the undertaking because what they are demanding of us is unacceptable to us,” a resident said.
Attacks by herders on Enugu communities have increased in recent months.
On 26th July, herders attacked Opanda Community in Nimbo, Uzo Uwani local government area, killing no less than 12 persons and injuring many more.
In the same month, herders killed a farmer in Okutu community and quickly fled across the Kogi borders.
Enugu State government, on the other hand, have continued with its policy of silence each time the killings occur with victims accusing Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of playing with the killings.
