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December 18, 2025 — Dalena Reporters
A new security report has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently address the discovery of what it describes as “jihadist herdsmen terror camps” in several communities in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, raising fresh concerns over rural insecurity and the alleged spread of violent militia encampments in parts of the South-East.
The report, obtained by DalenaReporters and compiled by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), alleges that investigators have identified more than 20 organised camps used by armed herdsmen across forests and villages in the area, including Imezi-Owa, Agu-obu-Owa, Olo, Mgbagbu-Owa and Oghe.
According to the rights group’s findings, the alleged camps are “highly organised” and structured in “six layers” each coordinated by individuals described as local leaders associated with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN). The report claims these groups operate around the Ajali River axis, where they oversee herds and command control over surrounding forests and farmland.
Intersociety warned that the situation has had severe environmental and economic consequences for communities dependent on the Ajali River, which has historically provided clean water and farmland for crops like cassava and sustained local markets. The organisation’s investigators said that farming and trading activity has sharply declined, and that long-standing agricultural systems are now at risk due to the ongoing insecurity tied to these alleged militiamen encampments.
The group’s report also describes the camps as terror headquarters from which jihadist activities are coordinated and spread across at least 14 affected communities in the council area, with herds roaming freely and local residents living in fear due to persistent reports of violence, crop destruction, and attacks.
Intersociety singled out a figure it names “Alhaji Sani”, identified as the overall coordinator of the herdsmen network, describing him as a resident of Ama Hausa-Fulani in Enugu and alleging his involvement in terror activities in the region since 2010. The report claims the Ajali River valley has been “transformed into dens of terror,” displacing people and undermining community life.
The organisation said its intervention was triggered by recent distress calls from residents and field discoveries made during a December 12, 2025, visit by its investigative team. Among the allegations cited were attacks on the Onitsha–Awka–Enugu Expressway, where, according to the report, armed militants opened fire on commercial vehicles near Nkwo-Ezeagu Market Square before security agents intervened.
The group also referenced earlier events in the state, including attacks on Christian worshippers in Eha-Amufu earlier in 2025, which it attributes to related armed herdsmen activity. Observers and local rights campaigners have repeatedly criticized authorities for failing to adequately investigate or prosecute alleged perpetrators of such violence.
Residents and community leaders quoted by Intersociety described long-term fear, loss of farmlands, and economic decline in their villages, saying that many farms are no longer safe to cultivate and that local markets once vibrant with agricultural trade have become shadows of their former selves.
The allegations have sparked alarm among civil society and human rights advocates, who are now urging the Nigerian government to deploy expanded security operations, conduct independent investigations, and engage with local communities to address evolving threats pointing to the need for transparency and accountability in how rural insecurity is documented and tackled.
Previous security claims about herdsmen violence in parts of Enugu — including counter-statements by police disputing some reports of invasions or sieges earlier in 2025 underscore that security reporting in the region can be contested and politically sensitive. Verification of specific allegations often differs between rights groups, local officials and security agencies.