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Chukwujekwu Ilozue
Two human rights groups: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) and Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) South East have said that their findings at the conclusion of their investigation of the invasion of four Ezeagu communities by the Nigerian Army of 82 Division, Enugu was at the invitation of ‘Jihadists Fulani herdsmen’.
They also said that the army invaded the four Imezi-Owa villages of Ezeagu with War-Grade Weapons, as they burned Down 10 civilian houses in residential areas, abducted 15-17-year-old girl named Chisom Okafor and scores of others including three young males, while forcing hundreds of others to flee their homes.
The report which was signed by Comrade Aloysius Attah, chairman of South East CLO and comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, board chair of Intersociety, among others stated that the invasion took place two days: May 5 and May 6, 2026.
The groups said that following its joint investigation the Army invasion, civilian house burnings and allied atrocities, thereto, took place at the instigation of the leaders of the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen who had since 2010 become a nightmare and an existential threat to the indigenes of most of the 14 autonomous and first class villages across the Ezeagu Local Government Area.
Part of the report read: “They constantly threatened autonomous communities of the ancient and historically respected Local Government include Umumba, Imezi-Owa (epicentre of recent Army attacks and Jihadist Herdsmen terror), Ogwofia, Umaji, Umuagba-Owa, Ezema-Owa, Eziowa-Aguobu, Ozom-Aguobu, Ozom-Mgbagbu-Owa, Eziowa-Mgbagbu-Owa, Awha, Oghe, Olo, Owa, Umana and Obinofia.
“Findings from our Six-Man Investigative Team recently sent to the area revealed that in the two days (May 5 and May 6, 2026) of the Nigerian Army’s operation, ten civilian houses or dwelling homes located in residential areas were burnt down to ashes and other valuable properties wantonly destroyed. The Army personnel also abducted a 15-17-Year-Old Miss Chisom Okafor who was looking after her aged grandmother and falsely labelled her: “IPOB/ESN informant”.
“Three young males said to be in their 20s and indigenes of Akwuke-Umudim of Imezi-Owa, namely: Ndubuisi Chikelu, Thank God Chikelu and Chidi Nosike, were also abducted. The Army attack also forced hundreds of defenceless indigenous youths in the area and in their 20s and 30s, to flee their family homes and lawful occupations so as to avoid being killed or abducted and disappeared under the pretext that they are “IPOB/ESN informants or collaborators”; or sexually harassed and abused, if they are young married or unmarried women”, the report said.
The group claimed that according to eyewitnesses and other community sources, instructions from the authorities of the Nigerian Army, 82 Division in Enugu, and the Government of Enugu State were given to Ezeagu Unit of the State Forest Guards to invite local vigilantes for an important meeting and when the local vigilantes arrived at the venue of the meeting, they were instantly disarmed by the military and accused of “collaborating with ESN.
The disarmed local vigilantes, the report said “were later forced to lead the soldiers into the forest where “the ESN camp is located” and on getting closer, the soldiers reportedly laid ambush, took their enemies unaware and opened fire, destroying their camp- leading to many of the armed non-state actors taking cover”.
The field report added that the incident took place on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 and that in the early morning of Wednesday, May 6 2026, the attacked armed non-state actors retaliated and angrily attacked the local vigilantes and disarmed them and accused them of sabotaging their efforts to keep their communities safe from Fulani Herdsmen attacks.
The field report noted that the shooting incident between soldiers and armed non-state actors took place inside the Ajali River Forest Valley and surrounding farmlands; more than two kilometers away from communal residential areas.
“Following the above, the vigilantes reported the incident to Ezeagu Local Government Chairman and Enugu State Police Command and on May 6, 2026, the 82 Division Army personnel stationed at Ezeagu’s Imezi-Owa Local Government Headquarters, joined by police, forest guards and local vigilantes were mobilized under the coordination and leadership of the Army personnel and moved to the Ajali River Forest Valley, leading to another round of gun battle with the armed non-state actor fighting parties (“the Eastern Security Network”); and in the melee that followed, three Army personnel were wounded in a crossfire, forcing them to retreat, reinforce and return to the scene at about 2:30pm of the same day.
“Instead of heading back to the scene (Ajali River Forest Valley), the Army personnel with war-grade weapons invaded four residential areas of Imezi-Owa’s Akwuke-Umudim, Abonuzu, Eziama and Eziowa villages and launched a war-grade attack including wantonly burning and destroying civilian houses, numbering about ten and other valuable properties”, the report added#
