By Erewunmi Peace

Tension has gripped parts of Enugu State following the latest attack by suspected armed herdsmen that left one farmer dead and several others injured in Onoli community, Awgu Local Government Area.

Eyewitnesses told reporters that the attackers invaded the farming settlement in the early hours of Saturday, inflicting machete wounds on villagers and destroying farmlands before fleeing into a nearby forest.

The victim, identified by residents as Ogbaki, was reportedly killed on his farm, while three others sustained severe injuries and are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

Community sources said the assault has heightened fears of renewed clashes between farmers and herders in the area, coming barely months after similar attacks in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo LGA, where several farmers were killed in separate incidents.

Human rights groups and concerned residents have condemned the repeated violence, urging security agencies to intensify patrols and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We have consistently raised alarms about the movement of armed herders around our communities,” a local leader told reporters. “Government must act fast before more lives are lost.”

Efforts to reach the Enugu State Police Command for official confirmation were unsuccessful as of press time. However, authorities are expected to issue a statement after assessing the scene.

Meanwhile, civil society organisations such as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) have called for stronger protection of rural farmers, citing the growing insecurity in farming belts across the South-East.