Enugu Communities Cry Out as Final-Year Student Is Killed, Pregnant Woman Kidnapped, And Residents Live In Fear

A final-year Accounting student, Sochima Onoh, has been brutally murdered in Enugu State, sparking fear and tension between neighbouring communities already entangled in a long-standing land dispute.

Onoh, a native of Umuene in Etiti Ngwo, lost his life during an ambush on Saturday, July 12, by masked youths allegedly from Attakwu Akwuke community. He had accompanied his community members and the police to inspect properties destroyed by the Attakwu group on disputed land. The police left after the inspection. On their way back to their homes, Onoh and others were attacked by armed men. He was shot and later cut to death.

“The Appeal Court gave us judgment and possession of the land in 2015, overturning the lower court decision. Ever since then, these people of Akwuke have vowed that heads must roll before we take possession of our land,” said Chief Daniel Eze, President General of Etiti Ngwo.

According to Eze, the Appeal Court ruled in favour of EtitiNgwor in 2015. A separate Supreme Court judgment in 2023 reaffirmed ownership of the disputed land, yet tensions have persisted.

A resident of Etiti Ngwo, who requested anonymity, stated that the attack was fueled by both land rivalry and broader insecurity threatening Enugu. He strongly believes that Onoh’s death was not just about land. That the gunmen terrorizing Enugu were at it again.

Sochima’s killing is just one in a string of violent events rocking Enugu State.

On Sunday night, a 7-month pregnant woman and her neighbor were kidnapped from their home in 9th Mile, Enugu. The kidnappers dragged them into the bush, demanding ransom. However, they were released after gunshots, believed to have come from local vigilantes, scattered the attackers. Tragically, the pregnant woman’s husband was shot during the incident.

Just weeks earlier, on July 3, Ndubuisi Udutchay was shot dead right in front of his home in Independence Layout, Enugu.

In June, Victor, a Nigerian who returned from Australia to visit his family, was gunned down in New Haven, another part of the state.

With the rising number of killings, kidnappings, and unresolved community feuds, residents no longer feel safe in what used to be a peaceful city. Families are mourning, communities are afraid, and students like Onoh, once full of dreams, are now being buried instead of celebrated at graduation.

Etiti Ngwo is now calling on the state government to urgently intervene. “We urge the government to take immediate action to prevent further escalation of the situation,” Eze said.

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