Nnamdi Chukwu
THE Enugu State Police Command says it is aware of what it described as a spurious online report alleging that herdsmen have overrun and occupied homes and schools in Eha-Amufu.
The Command, in a statement, said after a diligent review, it is only appropriate to declare the report baseless, mischievous, and a calculated attempt to mislead the public and instil fear.
“To set the record straight, no community in Eha-Amufu or any part of Enugu State has been invaded, placed under siege, or had its residents displaced, as claimed.
“Furthermore, the farm settlements allegedly overran by herdsmen are temporary dwellings used by farmers who periodically return to their permanent residences in their villages.
“While available records indicate that farmers were temporarily displaced from these farm settlements during farmer-herder clashes sometime in 2021 and 2022, peace and order have since been restored to the Eha-Amufu communities through joint security operations, contrary to the misleading report”, a statement signed by SP Daniel Ndukwe, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command read.
The Command particularly acknowledges the intentional and intensive interventions of the government of Enugu State to enhance security, especially in Eha-Amufu, under the leadership of Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
These efforts, the Command pointed out, include deploying 150 military personnel and well-equipped Special Forces, establishing security agency barracks, and constructing the nearly completed 21.7km Agape-Agu Mgbuji-Ogbete access roads leading to some farm settlements in the community.
“Regrettably, the medium that published the report ignored these facts and timelines, using unrelated pictures to support its sensational claims. After diligent forensic and digital fact-checking, it was discovered that the images were taken from old reports on incidents in neighbouring states and other locations, then mischievously repurposed to mislead the public.
“For instance, pictures of burnt houses posted by Amnesty International in condemnation of the 4 February 2025 attack on the Nkalaeha community in a neighbouring state were falsely misrepresented in the report as a recent occurrence in Eha-Amufu farm settlements.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, psc, urges the public to disregard this unfounded report. He reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Police and other security agencies to maintaining law, order, and security across the state.”
He called on citizens, particularly those in the allegedly affected communities of Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, to remain law-abiding, cooperate with security agencies, and report any genuine security concerns through official channels.
Eighteen-Eleven Media