Gunmen allegedly abduct 15 residents in Enugu community

Gunmen have allegedly abducted no fewer than 15 residents of Mgbuji Eha-Amufu Community in Isi-Uzo local government area of Enugu State on Monday.

The victims were reported kidnapped at about 7am along Mgbuji-Agu road within Mgbuji town while they were going to their farms.

Although the State Police Command could not confirm the incident, it said the command was make efforts to obtain relevant facts that would aid appropriate police actions.

A resident of the community, who identified himself as Onyekachi Odo, stated that some of the villagers, who were going to their farms with tricycles, were intercepted by gun wielding herdsmen numbering over 20, and we’re abducted to an unknown destination.

Odo said, “Some of the victims were picked in their farms.”

Spokesman of Mgbuji Community, Chijioke Ogbodo, confirmed the abductions on Monday. He decried the constant attack and abduction in the community by terrorists while we have security agencies there doing nothing.

“Since they (Fulani militias) started attacking our community, neither the police nor the military had arrested one of the terrorists. We we received the information on the attack this morning, we called all the security agents deployed to Eha-Amufu, but unfortunately they didn’t respond to our distress calls. This is our tragedy,” he said.

He, however, called on the State government to do something immediately to rescue the victims whom he said; their only offence was going to their farms to get what they would eat.

It will be recalled that gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on police and military uniforms had on July 5, kidnapped seven residents of the same community and shot three others.

Mgbuji and other neighbouring communities in Eha-Amufu have been under several attacks from September 2021 till date.

So many people were killed; hundreds of houses and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. Several others were equally kidnapped for ransom.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Monday evening, said the command was yet to get information on the incident.

He said, “On the report making the rounds by alleging that about 15 persons were abducted by armed men at Mgbuji in Eha-Amufu Community of Isi-Uzo LGA, the below reaction is relevant, please:

“The Command is yet to get a clear information and/or report on the media report alleging the abduction of about 15 persons at Mgbuji in Eha-Amufu Community of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, by armed men in the morning hours of today, 18/07/2022.

“However, effort is being made to ascertain the occurrence or otherwise of the incident as alleged, as well as obtain relevant facts that will aid appropriate Police actions and to avoid the Police being speculative. Further development will be communicated accordingly,” he added. (Courtesy, excluding headline, The PUNCH)