‘This Farm Was Our Only Hope’: Enugu Woman Calls for Assistance as Herdsmen Wreck Family’s Cassava Plantation

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa

In the Nimbo community of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in Enugu State, a young woman’s urgent appeal for help has drawn renewed attention to the growing tension between farmers and roaming cattle herders in southeastern Nigeria. Ugwu Christiana Chioma, a School of Health graduate, stands amid what remains of her family’s cassava plantation — once several hectares of cultivated land — now trampled and destroyed by grazing cattle. Her plea to the Enugu State Government, security agencies, and compassionate Nigerians reflects both a personal tragedy and a larger, unresolved pattern of insecurity that has long plagued the region.

Chioma’s voice, captured in a widely shared online video, conveys the depth of her family’s loss. She described returning home after finishing her health studies because of limited job prospects, intent on helping her widowed mother cultivate cassava and other food crops. “This farm was our only hope,” she said, eyes scanning the flattened earth where tubers once grew. “We invested so much — clearing the land, hiring labourers, planning for the future. Now all of it is gone.” Her family’s livelihood, already fragile, now hangs in uncertainty.

The farmland, Chioma explained, has been effectively converted into a grazing ground, with cattle roaming freely and trampling crops. Beyond the financial setback, she expressed deep concern for her family’s safety. Repeated incursions by herders, she said, have sowed fear throughout the community. “We now live in constant fear,” she lamented. “Many farmers have stopped going to their fields because of the threats of kidnapping and attacks associated with these herders.”

Nimbo, like several other communities in southeastern Nigeria, has a concerning history of violent incidents linked to suspected cattle herders. In April 2024, at least four residents of the community were reportedly killed during an attack by suspected herdsmen in Uzo-Uwani. The victims — Okeh Simon Ugwu, Oruku Okeh Chukwuebuka, Julius Ogbonna Odiegwu, and Gabriel Ugwor Ezea — died in what witnesses described as a sudden, unprovoked assault. Residents recounted how masked men carrying automatic rifles entered the community late on a Sunday night, firing indiscriminately. Survivors said several others were wounded, with some transported to hospitals in Nsukka for treatment.

The Enugu State Police Command acknowledged the 2024 attack but released only limited information at the time, leaving many questions unanswered for residents seeking justice and reassurance. These events echo a more devastating chapter in Nimbo’s recent history: the massacre of April 25, 2016, when at least 48 people were killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Enugu State’s history. Suspected Fulani herdsmen were implicated in that atrocity, which drew national condemnation and intense scrutiny of the state’s security apparatus.

Then-Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi described the 2016 killings as shocking and acknowledged that security agencies had prior intelligence suggesting an attack might occur. In a statement at the time, he noted that reports had been received about potential violence the evening before the massacre, prompting an emergency meeting of the State Security Council. Yet, despite this forewarning and subsequent government responses, the threat of violence and incursions by armed herders in and around Nimbo and neighbouring communities has persisted.

For Chioma and other residents, this pattern of insecurity has compounded everyday hardships. Farming, the primary source of livelihood for many families in the region, has become fraught with risk. Fields lie abandoned or fallow as fear of attacks, kidnappings, and crop destruction dissuades farmers from tending their lands. Food security concerns have grown in tandem with economic strain, particularly among households that rely entirely on agriculture for both sustenance and income.

Chioma’s emotional appeal underscores a broader call for protection and support. “I am pleading with the Enugu State Government, security forces, and compassionate Nigerians to help us,” she said. “We feel powerless. We require protection and support to survive.” Her words resonate with many in similar communities who feel neglected and vulnerable in the face of ongoing threats.

Local leaders and community advocates have echoed these sentiments, urging authorities to implement more proactive and comprehensive security measures. They argue that the response to such threats must go beyond reactive deployments and include sustained engagement with affected communities. Enhanced security presence, improved early warning mechanisms, and stronger collaboration between local vigilante groups and state forces are among the strategies frequently proposed.

However, addressing the root causes of these conflicts requires deeper interventions. Socioeconomic disparities, competition for land and resources, and the absence of robust grazing regulations have all been cited by analysts as contributing factors to farmer-herder tensions across Nigeria. In regions like Enugu, where arable land is central to local economies and culture, the unchecked movement of large herds has increasingly resulted in crop destruction and disputes.

Some policymakers and civil society organisations advocate for formalised grazing reserves and regulated cattle routes to mitigate clashes between herders and farming communities. Others call for investment in agricultural support services and conflict resolution frameworks that would empower communities to manage disputes without resort to violence. Yet progress on these fronts has been slow and uneven, leaving many rural residents feeling abandoned and at risk.

Compounding these challenges is the broader issue of rural insecurity in parts of southeast Nigeria, where incidences of kidnapping and criminal violence have risen in recent years. The fear of abduction — whether by armed herders or criminal gangs — has contributed to a climate of anxiety that affects daily life, economic activity, and social cohesion.

Despite these difficulties, there are instances of resilience and cooperation among community members as they seek to protect their livelihoods and restore a sense of safety. Local farmers have formed vigilance groups aimed at monitoring herder movements and coordinating with security agencies. Traditional leaders have also played facilitative roles in dialogue and conflict mitigation, though their efforts are often constrained by limited resources and escalating tensions.

For families like Chioma’s, the path forward is uncertain. With their farm destroyed and prospects for immediate recovery dim, the plea for support is both urgent and deeply personal. “Farming is all we have here,” she said. “If our farms are ruined and we are not safe, we have no idea how we are supposed to survive.” Her testimony highlights the fragile nexus between security, economic opportunity, and human dignity in rural Nigeria.

As Enugu State officials and national authorities consider responses to ongoing farmer-herder conflicts, the voices of affected citizens like Chioma remind policymakers of the human cost behind the headlines. Their stories demand not only statements of sympathy but also actionable plans that protect lives, secure livelihoods, and foster sustainable peace.

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