By Jeff Agbodo
ABUJA — The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has strongly disagreed with Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s assertion that Christians are killing Christians in the South-East forests, insisting that violent attacks are carried out by armed Fulani militants.
In a statement, Intersociety Chairman Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi said the South-East region is under severe infiltration by Jihadist Fulani militants, occupying an estimated 950 forest locations across about 800 of the region’s 1,940 autonomous communities.
He alleged that these militants have terrorized communities, killing, abducting, and displacing residents, destroying property, and attacking churches, often under the guise of religion.
“Over the past four years, at least 14 church parishes in Enugu State alone have been attacked, leaving more than 117 worshippers killed,” Umeagbalasi said. He described incidents including the January 2022 attack in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo, where 40 parishioners were ambushed and eight decomposing bodies were recovered and buried inside a church compound.
Intersociety also accused five South-East governors — Peter Mbah (Enugu), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), and Alex Otti (Abia) — of suppressing information about these attacks and failing to protect their communities.
According to Intersociety, the number of jihadist settlements in the South-East has grown alarmingly from 10 locations in 2018 to about 950 by 2025, with militants extending operations into other Igbo-inhabited parts of Delta, Edo, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Rivers, and Cross River states.
Umeagbalasi stressed that denying the presence of armed Fulani militants endangers lives and undermines efforts to secure the region, calling for urgent attention and action to curb the escalating violence.
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