The people of Eha-Amufu community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, have debunked alleged recent mass rape, killings and arson in the community.
The indigenes and community leaders of Eha-Amufu, which is a border community between Ebonyi and Benue States, disclosed this to fact-finding journalists in the community on Sunday.
The fact-finding mission emanated due to recent fake but viral videos of protest and counter-protest by groups of women over alleged recent mass rape, mass killings and widespread arson in Eha-Amufu community.
Speaking, President-General of Mgbuji in Eha-Amufu, Chief Donatus Odoh, noted that the alleged protest last week on the supposed killing of 200 persons in Eha-Amufu recently as I saw in one video being circulated, “none of that happened”.
“Nothing happened here and there was no mass rape, killing or arson in Mgbuji, Eha-Amufu two weeks ago and till now,” Odoh said.
He said that although there was a rape case in another autonomous community in Eha-Amufu, and he was involved in arranging the victim’s medical treatment following government’s intervention, noting: “She did not die.”
“The rape victim, Mrs. Amarachi Nnaji, alleged in the fake video to be dead is alive. I saw the woman being driven on a bike returning from the market the other day. She is healthy,” Odoh emphasised.
Odoh, however, confirmed past mass attacks on Eha-Amufu community by suspected herders before the coming of Gov. Peter Mbah, especially in 2022 when the community was sacked, leaving so many people dead.
Another community leader, Chief Richard Ogenyi, said that but for isolated incidents, security had continued to improve after the 2022 attack through the interventions of Gov. Mbah and the Isi-Uzo Council Chairman, Mr Obiora Obeagu.
“So, I am surprised to hear that many people numbering in the hundreds were killed in Eha-Amufu. After the incident of 2022, we have not witnessed such a number of killings being circulated.
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“Since Obeagu’s second term and Gov. Mbah administration, we have witnessed a lot of security improvement and insecurity has dropped drastically,” he said.
Meanwhile, the rape victim from Abor Eha-Amufu, Mrs. Amarachi Nnaji, while recounting her unfortunate experience in the hands of herders in her farm, noted that “the information that she was in the mortuary is false”.
Corroborating, Isi-Uzo Council Chairman, Obeagu, while admitting the existence of security challenges, refuted the story and fake social media video of any recent killings in Eha-Amufu community.
The chairman said that the Gov. Mbah administration had since coming into office in 2023 continued to put in place both physical security and infrastructural measures that had ensured that what happened in 2022 did not repeat itself.
“These included: the deployment of over 150 soldiers, deployment of Special Forces with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and gun trucks, ongoing collaboration between the state government and the Nigerian Army to construct military barracks in that border community.
“Gov. Mbah has nearly completed 21.7km Agape-Agu-Mgbuji-Ogbete Road in order to open up our farm settlements, enhance security and vehicular access to the farmlands and forests within Eha-Amufu.and other neighbouring communities in the council,” he said.
The council boss blamed bad politics, deliberate lies and misinformation for the fabricated and fake social media videos and all unfounded allegations made within the videos.
“So, when people tell you it was a spontaneous protest, it was not. It was orchestrated, well planned. In one of the clips I watched, a man was in the background like a hype-man, trying to hype the protesters.
“I heard him say that last week 200 people were killed. Yet, he did not show burnt houses, nobody was showing any images; while the things they talked about are things that are supposed to be graphic,” he added.
