A wave of unrest swept through Enugu State on Thursday as more than 1,000 women staged a massive protest against the terror inflicted by armed herdsmen.
The demonstrators, hailing from seven autonomous communities, blocked a two-kilometer stretch of the Nkalagu-Afor Federal Highway in Eha-Amufu, halting economic and social activities.
This protest, which followed similar demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday, was a desperate cry for help against years of brutal attacks on farmers.
Angela Ogenyi, a protest leader, revealed that since 2021, hundreds of women have been killed, displaced, or subjected to horrifying violence.
“We are being raped, beaten, and mutilated by criminal herdsmen for stopping their cattle from eating our crops,” she said.
She described a harrowing scene where a woman was tortured in the most inhumane way, leaving the community in shock and fear.
With their lands overrun and their families under siege, the protesters accused authorities of neglecting their plight despite repeated pleas.
“Today, we have decided to stage the mother of all protests to draw Governor Peter Mbah’s attention to the killings,” one protester declared.
The crisis, rooted in a battle over dwindling resources, has evolved into one of Nigeria’s deadliest security threats, claiming thousands of lives.
Ethnic and religious divisions have further deepened the crisis, pushing Nigeria’s fragile unity to its limits.
When contacted, Enugu State police spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe said, “The matter is being looked at and under control.”
Yet, for these women, silence is no longer an option as they fight for survival in a land scarred by violence.
