My contact in Nigeria informs me that “these are Biafran Christian communities that these jihadists are pillaging.”
They are endeavoring to drive the Christians away altogether.
“Agu-Amede: How Enugu State Community Depends Solely On Stream, Lives At Mercy Of Herdsmen Who Kill Residents, Destroy Farmlands,” Sahara Reporters, May 27, 2023:
…Agu-Amede is a community in Ehamufu, Isi Ụzọ Local Government Area of Enugu State. It has its peculiarities arising from the fact that it is border community with Benue State.
Residents of the villages are mainly farmers who produce garri, yam, palm oil and other farm produce they could lay their hands on which they sell at Nkwo Agu-Amede to buyers from far and near.
The land is notoriously fertile, with locals saying it has a high water retaining capacity which makes farming during dry season most ideal. Families live on farm estates they inherited from their forebears, making them vulnerable to attacks and killings by Fulani herders. Aside the killings by herders, diseases that are waterborne are prevalent in the community and are major causes of death.
Locals say water for domestic use has been a problem in the community for decades but they have always relied on early rainfall for survival, a situation that is changing since rain has fallen just a few times even in May. There is no electricity and there has never been a borehole sunk to solve their water problem. Government, they say, only remembers them during elections.
Worst still, basic education in the community is also a problem. Teachers posted to government schools dread residing in the community due to its rough roads, lack of water and poor mobile network penetration. The headmaster of the only government primary school in the community comes to the school once in two months, they say. Locals say despite their cries to government, issues concerning them are relegated and they have since adapted to their isolated world.
In Agu-Amede, herders are kings, chasing farmers away from a certain part of the community where they rule with their cows.
Ọgwụ Ikeala, a 63-year-old farmer said he and his family deserted their farm when killings by herders spiked last year. Herders attack on other communities like Mgbuji in the same Eha-Amufu has become regular in the last five years. More than two hundred persons have been killed by herdsmen in Eha-Amufu in the last two years, according to a government source.
“It has led to a drop in agriculture produce and most farmers and families are leaving for the townships,” he added. Mgbuji like other communities in Eha-Amufu shares border with Benue State.
According to Ikeala, they were living in peace with the herders who came into the community from the Benue border until the killings started last year. Countering the attacks, he said, is hard since the herders are armed with AK-47 rifles while they have none.
He said herders ambush residents in their farms and kill them, uproot the cassava and yam they planted and feed to their cows….
Okede said government representatives came to the community when the last killing occurred but didn’t chase the herders occupying their farms away….
somehistory says
“herders” schmerders. mozlums to the core and nothing more. Except,
they are the adopted children of satan the devil, whom Jesus called, “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.”
Jesus also said, “You are from your father the devil and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began and did not stand in the Truth because Truth is not in him.”
These mozlums are having their way because many mozlums run the government and are fellow “herders.” They are all following the rotten, evil example set out by their “father, satan the devil,” in opposition to God (The Bible’s God and Jesus’ God and Father).
They are also having their way because God is allowing them to show what is in their hearts…and what is in their hearts is to follow satan’s lead and “steal, kill and destroy.” Especially those who follow Christ.