Christian Householder Beheaded in his Own Home in Front of Wife and Children
By Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani
(Makurdi) The plague of death returned Sunday — after 29 days — to a hapless Christian town in Agatu County in Benue State.
TruthNigeria had earlier reported that Egwuma, a farming town 67 miles west of Makurdi, was attacked by Fulani Jihadists on Sunday, July 14 2024, resulting in the deaths of 12 Christian worshippers. Afterwards there were burials and prayers but no arrests, no prosecutions, no international outcry, no closure and no lessons learned. The marauding Islamist terrorists returned August 11 to finish the job of driving out the residents of Egwuma on Sunday Aug. 11, killing one loving husband and father, and burning down most of the houses.
Victims narrate their ordeals
In an interview with TruthNigeria, Mrs. Ehi Echechofu, whose husband was gruesomely beheaded by Fulani terrorists on Sunday, 11th August 2024, recalled her family’s traumatic ordeal.
“Shortly after we returned from Sunday church service, and as we were about to settle down [for the night], suddenly we heard sporadic gunshots from different directions; before we could run out, well-armed Fulani terrorists were already at our door.”
“My husband, Echechofu Audu, tried to block them from approaching our position but was macheted. He fell to the ground, and they still rushed him, mutilated his body, and beheaded him while we were watching with fear. The room was dark; my five children and I managed to hide ourselves under the bed.”
“They set our house ablaze and quickly left. As the house was burning from top, we walked out silently, hiding ourselves under a nearby bush. My husband’s corpse was burned beyond recognition in the house.”.
“The military came after the attackers left, searched for the burned remains of my husband, interred it, and quickly left.”
“We left that night to the neighboring village of Ogwule-Kaduna, where we are currently squatting with a relative.”
“I and my five children have no one to take care of us; we have no food and no shelter. We call on the local, state, and federal governments and the international community to come to our rescue,” Mrs. Audu said to TruthNigeria.
Egwuma Community Fights Back
According to Gideon Ademu, Former Special Adviser to Agatu County Chairman and a resident of Egwuma, in an interview with TruthNigeria Correspondent, “It was on Sunday, 11th August, 2024, well-armed Fulani terrorists invaded our community from two different angles, shooting sporadically, but unfortunately for the attackers, the youths were prepared for them this time.
In an interview with TruthNigeria, one of the community’s leaders, Umar Haruna, said, “Our youths were well prepared for the attackers, because we got information about their coming, so we got ready,” Haruna said.
“Six of our youths were also seriously wounded, including Echeawu Godwin, Ochohepo Aleji, Emmanuel Adaigwu, James Godwin, Ada Muhammad, and Oloche Ogboche.
“The attackers also succeeded in burning about half of the houses in the village because they divided themselves into two groups on approaching our community. While our youths were focusing on the group that was shooting sporadically on the outskirts of the community, the attackers in the other group silently entered our village and burned several houses and other structures before they were eventually repelled,” Haruna said.
“All the Riverine communities have been burned down and taken over by the Jihadists. Our community is now their next target so that if they succeed, they can now have easy access to attack upper communities such as Ogwule-Kaduna, Ogwule-Ogbaulu, etc.,” said Ukpoju Musa Joseph, in an interview with TruthNigeria.
“Immediately as the attack began, we quickly called the military stationed at Obagaji, the Agatu County Headquarters, 15 km (9 miles) away from our community, but there was no quick response until after the attackers caused a lot of havoc and left,” said resident of Egwuma precinct, Ibrahim Babangida in his eyewitness account. “The military only came in the night and quickly left. We are calling on the government to establish a military or a mobile police base to stop the incessant attacks on our community,” Babangida said.
Reacting to the attack, the Chairman of Agatu County, Philip Ebenyakwu, condemned the attack, saying security operatives have been deployed and have brought the attack under control.
“We are all we can to prevent such an attack in the future,” the chairman said to TruthNigeria.
“The attackers are Fulani terrorists whose primary aim is to take over our land, and the security agencies are not doing enough to stop them. Our people are helpless. We call on the International Community to come to our aid,” Hon. Godwin Abu Edoh, the local State Assemblyman, said to TruthNigeria.
Similarly, the federal lawmaker representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency, Ojotu Ojema, in his response to the attack through a phone call with TruthNigeria, called on the Federal Government to take decisive action to end the frequent carnage on his people by armed Fulani terrorists.
“These attacks and killings are too many. About half of the communities in Agatu are displaced. The security agencies are not doing enough and should redouble their efforts. Too many lives and property have been lost and must be stopped,” Ojema said.
Federal and State Governments Yet to React
More than 72 hours after the attack on Egwuma, the federal and state governments have yet to publish statements.
According to Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, the Command has not been officially informed about second attack. “We knew about the first attack of the 14th of July on Egwuma and responded swiftly, but we have not been informed of the latest one.”.
There has been no quick response to most of the attacks on rural communities in Benue and other Middle Belt states by Fulani terrorists, and they are grossly underreported by mainstream media, compelling citizens to suspect a conspiracy and rapid loss of confidence and trust in the government and media, according to locals interviewed in Agatu County by TruthNigeria.
Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
