A new security report has revealed the existence of camps belonging to jihadist herdsmen in several communities within Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, prompting calls for urgent government intervention. The report, obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday, identified the most affected villages as Imezi-Owa, Agu-obu-Owa, Olo, Mgbagbu-Owa, and Oghe.
Compiled by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), the report claims that over 20 jihadist terror dens operate in forests across these communities. The camps are reportedly structured in six layers, each led by a Fulani leader, locally referred to as an Alhaji, and coordinated under the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACABAN). The dens are allegedly based around the Ajali River axis, which has been transformed into a zone of fear for surrounding communities.
Intersociety warned that the herdsmen’s activities have devastated local farmlands, water sources, and markets, including the Ajali River, historically a major source of water for Enugu and Ebonyi States. Once a hub for the cashew and cassava industries, the river’s environs have been heavily affected since 2010, with local markets and farms now largely abandoned.
The organisation also linked recent attacks on commercial vehicles and churches in Enugu State to these herdsmen camps, citing incidents such as the November 7, 2025 attack on Onitsha-bound vehicles and earlier assaults on church parishes in Eha-Amufu, which left over 117 people dead.
The report calls for immediate investigation and decisive action by Nigerian authorities to address the ongoing security threat in Ezeagu and protect the livelihoods of affected communities.
