Ogurugu, Enugu State – Tragedy struck the peaceful farm settlement of Ugbamaja, near the bilingual Igala-Igbo community of Ogurugu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, when three siblings were gruesomely murdered by suspected Fulani herdsmen while on their way to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The incident occurred in the early hours of a day that was supposed to mark a milestone in the academic journey of the children of Mr. Abuka Peter Onanalo, a local fuel vendor in the settlement.
According to eyewitness accounts, the suspected attackers had earlier approached Mr. Onanalo’s residence on a motorcycle to purchase premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. During the transaction, they overheard a conversation between Mr. Onanalo and his children about their travel plans to town to sit for the WAEC examination.
Shortly after refueling, the assailants rode off, only to lay an ambush at a secluded spot along the siblings’ route. As the unsuspecting children approached the area on their motorcycle, they were stopped. One of the siblings was shot dead on the spot and decapitated. The attackers then compelled the second child to call their father and narrate the horrifying events.
“In that phone call, my child told me that they had been stopped by the same men who bought fuel from me that morning. He said one of them was already killed and beheaded. As I was still trying to speak, I heard a gunshot—and the line went dead,” Mr. Onanalo recounted tearfully.
A search party led by Mr. Onanalo and local community members later discovered the lifeless bodies of the three siblings—riddled with gunshot wounds and with their heads severed.
The brutal killing has sent shockwaves across Uzo-Uwani and beyond, reigniting concerns about rising insecurity in Nigeria’s southeastern states. Both Enugu State and neighboring Benue State have in recent years witnessed a surge in violent attacks allegedly carried out by armed herdsmen.
Calls for Justice and Security Reform
Community leaders and residents have condemned the attack and are demanding immediate government intervention.
“The blood of these innocent school children cries out for justice. Their killers must be found and prosecuted. We cannot continue to bury our children while the state looks away,” said one local elder who declined to be named for security reasons.
They called on Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State to deploy security forces to rural communities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. They also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on security in regions repeatedly affected by banditry and terrorism.
The community of Ogurugu, where Igala and Igbo languages are spoken fluently due to its historical and geographical closeness to Kogi State, has long been known for its peaceful coexistence. But residents now say that peace is unsustainable without protection.
A Nation in Mourning
The tragic murder of Mr. Onanalo’s children has left the entire Ugbamaja and Ogurugu area in mourning, and the wider Nigerian public outraged. Many see the attack not only as a personal loss to the family but also as a symptom of the deepening failure of the state to protect its citizens—especially the most vulnerable.
As Nigeria grapples with worsening insecurity, the gruesome killings in Ugbamaja are a painful reminder that urgent and decisive action is needed. The nation owes it to the memory of these young students to ensure that justice is not only served—but that such evil is never allowed to repeat itself.
