More than 117 worshippers have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on Anglican and Catholic churches in Eha-Amufu, a community in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, according to a new report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety).
The human rights organisation said that between May 2021 and June 2025, at least 14 parishes were attacked, leaving hundreds of homes and farmlands destroyed and entire communities deserted. The report described the killings as “systematic and faith-targeted,” alleging that jihadist militants have infiltrated over 950 forest settlements across the South-East, including 56 in Enugu State.
Figures released by the Anglican Church authorities detailed individual attacks on local congregations and the number of casualties recorded in each incident. Between January and June 2025 alone, 31 worshippers were reportedly killed in renewed hostilities.
Intersociety’s findings documented a series of assaults on Christian parishes, including:
May 2021: Holy Anglican Church, Okpokwu, Mgbuji – 25 worshippers killed.
January 2022: St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Ogbete – 40 members massacred.
Subsequent Attacks (2022–2025):
St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Ngele-Aguiyi – 4 killed.
St. Michael’s & All Angels’ Catholic Church, Okpurigwu – 2 killed.
Anglican Church, Obodoudo, Aguamede – 5 killed.
All Saints Anglican Church, Onitsha-Ebia – 1 killed.
Christ Anglican Church, Amaofia – 4 killed.
Victory Anglican Church, Iyi-Asaa – 2 killed.
Our Saviour Anglican Church, Iyi-Asaa – 9 killed.
At least eight of nine local parishes have reportedly closed down due to displacement, with thousands of residents now living as refugees in neighbouring towns.
A senior Anglican priest in Eha-Amufu told investigators that he and volunteers buried eight decomposing bodies after the January 2022 attack.
“Many were abducted into nearby forests and slaughtered. Soldiers only arrived after the attack — to pick corpses, not to protect us,” he said.
Residents also alleged that a helicopter linked to the attackers was seen hovering over the community before major assaults, allegedly dropping unidentified objects believed to be weapons.
The report further accused soldiers from the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, of neglecting distress calls during attacks, only appearing afterward to assist with evacuations.
Intersociety said some local youths who documented evidence of the killings were later arrested and tortured by security operatives allegedly acting on behalf of the Enugu State government, accused of “unknown gunmen” activities, and warned not to speak publicly.
Beyond the church casualties, the rights group noted hundreds of civilian deaths, including a December 2023 assault in the Abor community, where over 20 people were killed.
Markets such as the Orie Aguamede Market and vast farmlands have been razed, rendering villages ghost towns.
The most recent incident cited in the report occurred on November 7, 2025, near Nkwo-Ezeagu Market Square, where a joint DSS and Police escort reportedly repelled an attempted abduction of bus passengers by suspected herdsmen.
Intersociety has demanded an international inquiry into the Eha-Amufu massacres and what it described as deliberate “suppression of truth” by political leaders in the South-East.
It condemned regional governors, including Peter Mbah (Enugu), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), and Alex Otti (Abia), for “publicly denying the presence of armed herdsmen despite overwhelming evidence.”
The group also criticised international media institutions, welcoming the recent resignation of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness over alleged bias, and called for a complete restructuring of BBC Africa for fair coverage of Christian-targeted violence in Nigeria.
Despite over 300 deaths recorded in the Eha-Amufu area between 2021 and 2025, no suspect has been arrested or prosecuted. Security analysts warn that the violence, originally rooted in herder-farmer conflicts, now bears “the clear signatures of religiously motivated terrorism.”
As the killings persist, communities once known for farming and faith are now silent — their churches empty, and their people scattered — waiting for justice that has yet to come
