Informants Who Aided Herders’ Deadly Attack Arrested
Dr. Peter Mbah, Enugu State Governor, has reiterated that the state remains one of the safest in Nigeria despite recent attacks and what he described as a campaign of misinformation aimed at tarnishing its security profile.
Governor Mbah made the assertion on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 13, AIG Abayomi Oladipo, to the Lion Building, Enugu, even as the government confirmed that the police in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area have arrested two suspects linked to the deadly assault on farm settlements in Eha-Amufu.
According to a post made by Mr Uche Anichukwu, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on External Relations, on the government’s WhatsApp platform, the arrested individuals—Matthew Ebeh, 26, and a yet-to-be-named woman—allegedly served as collaborators and informants for militant herders responsible for the attack that claimed several lives.
Ebeh was said to have led the attackers into the community but was captured after a local escaped and alerted others. The suspects reportedly guided the attackers and leaked information about security deployments in the area.
Reacting to the development, Governor Mbah vowed that no crime committed in Enugu would go unpunished, insisting that the state has both the capacity and political will to solve crimes and prosecute offenders.
“We do not have any tolerance for insecurity, for crime in Enugu State. We are going to continue to work with the security agencies to ensure that we sustain this security we are enjoying in the state today,” he said.
The governor rejected portrayals of the state as insecure, attributing such narratives to what he described as propaganda and recycled falsehoods spread through social media.
Mbah emphasised the state’s multi-pronged investments in security infrastructure, including a new Command and Control Centre, an AI-powered surveillance system, and a Distress Response Squad equipped with over 150 security vehicles, as part of efforts to bolster safety and investor confidence.
Mbah said he was aware that his administration could not achieve the ambition to grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion and position it as the premier destination for investment, business, tourism and living without security, hence his decision to invest enormous resources and political will in fighting the scourge of insecurity from the outset.
Speaking earlier, AIG Abayomi Oladipo commended the Mbah administration for what he described as “notable improvement in the security of lives and property” in the state. He revealed that he had been fully briefed by the police commissioners of both Enugu and Anambra states and assured that new strategies had been developed for inter-agency collaboration to strengthen peace efforts.
“I can tell you that what we have put in place is really working for us. I want to thank you for the support and your cooperation with the police and other security agencies of the state,” AIG Oladipo said.
The recent attack on Eha-Amufu in Enugu State is part of a long and troubling pattern of violence in the region, particularly in communities bordering Benue State. On Sunday, June 15, 2025, suspected herdsmen launched a brutal assault on communities in Eha-Amufu in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area. At least 12 people were confirmed dead, with several others still missing.
The attack caused widespread panic, forcing residents to flee their homes, abandon their farms, and seek refuge elsewhere.
