A joint team of Nigerian security agencies, including soldiers, police officers, and personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), allegedly unleashed violence on thousands of women protesting herdsmen attacks in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Sources revealed to SaharaReporters that the security operatives were deployed by the Enugu State government, led by Governor Peter Mbah, in what appears to be an attempt to suppress reports of escalating herdsmen violence and insecurity in the region.

Trouble reportedly began when the protesting women apprehended two individuals accused of masterminding herdsmen attacks in their communities. While one of the suspects escaped, the women paraded the other through the streets. In response, the government dispatched security forces to intervene, resulting in a chaotic confrontation.

Mrs. Regina Odoh, one of the protest leaders, described the standoff:
"When we reached Eke, the central market, hundreds of soldiers and policemen blocked us. We pleaded with them to let us pass since they couldn't protect us. When they refused, we retreated, regrouped, and returned in greater numbers," she said.

According to Odoh, the situation escalated when additional women from five neighboring communities joined the protest, determined to confront the security forces. The demonstrators accused the police and soldiers of enabling the herdsmen’s violence while attempting to silence their voices.

As tensions peaked, security forces reportedly fired live ammunition and tear gas at the crowd, leading to injuries. Several women were reportedly shot, with many others sustaining wounds and rushed to hospitals for treatment.

Amid the chaos, video and audio clips obtained by SaharaReporters captured the protesters accusing the Council Chairman, Obiora Obeagu, and other local leaders of profiting from the ongoing violence and undermining their efforts to seek justice.

In one of the videos, a spokesperson for the women identified a man named Israel Mgborogwu from Mgbuji community as an alleged collaborator with Fulani herdsmen and a media aide to the Isi-Uzo LGA Chairman. She accused local officials of downplaying the severity of the attacks and spreading misinformation to discredit the protesters.

"They claimed that the woman who died after being raped and assaulted by herdsmen didn't die. They even brought another victim to say no one died. These are blatant lies," the woman alleged.

She further detailed recent attacks, citing the murder of Ndubuisi, a final-year graduate, whose family home was looted and burned. Despite these tragedies, the government reportedly branded their protest as "sponsored" and sought to suppress their cries for help.

The protesting women insist that if the government and security forces cannot protect them, they should not attempt to silence their outcry. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning the government's response to the crisis in Eha-Amufu.