The Enugu State Police Command has issued a report on the Fulani herdsmen attack which occurred in Ukpabi Nimbo community in the state but significantly referred to the perpetrators as hoodlums rather than herdsmen.
The attack occurred on Monday, April 26 in Uzo-Uwani Local Governent Area and it was widely reported that over 40 people died in the attack while over 2000 persons were displaced as they fled to neighboring communities of Nkpologu and Uvuru, even as Nkpologu natives fled to Nsukka in fear of attack.
Many houses were also seen burnt during the visit of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to the area on Monday, while goods worth millions of naira were reportedly lost amid reports that Fulani herdsmen imported about 500 others from Nasarawa State to help launch the attack on the community.
However, the police in a statement signed by Ebere Amaraizu who is the spokesperson of the Enugu State police, apparently downplayed the figures by claiming that only 6 persons died while 11 persons were injured, with one of them dying later, it said, as against the earlier figures of causalities and that the attack was carried out by hoodlums.
The police also claimed that “the hoodlums fled after also burning the house of Rev. Pastor Samuel Chukwuemeka, two vehicles and one other vehicle damaged”, as against reports of far more causalities and destruction in many eye witnesses’ accounts.
