The death toll from Sunday’s attack on Amagu and two other villages in Nkalaha community, Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has tragically risen to 15, with many residents still missing.

The attack, allegedly carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen, also left several houses burned, throwing the community into shock.

Initial reports confirmed 10 deaths, but more bodies have since been discovered in the surrounding bushes, raising fears that the number could climb further.

Ebonyi state Deputy Governor, Princess Patricia Obila, visited the affected community on Tuesday, February 4, and issued a 24-hour ultimatum to security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators, The Punch reported.

“No government is happy to see their citizens being killed in a bloody manner. This is a horrific scene to behold. If you look at those corpses, they are a younger generation that were lost,” Obila lamented.

Expressing her concern for the affected families, she added,

“What happens to their children and what happens to their families? Why do you terminate lives that you can’t create? It is too bad. I’m sounding a warning to all the youth leaders of this community. All of you should sit up—not to fight, but to ensure peace and harmony.”

The Deputy Governor also called for spiritual intervention, urging residents to engage in three days of fasting and prayers.

“I am giving this community three days to go into fasting and prayers, for God to come and sanctify this community. There is nothing that God cannot do,” she stated.

The traditional ruler of Nkalaha community, Igwe Thompson Ebe, revealed that tensions had been escalating for weeks before the attack, despite ongoing mediation efforts, Leadership reported.

“I had written a report to the governor and copied security agencies because the problem started on January 20 and lasted until January 31, 2025.

“We have continued to mediate between the Agila people in Benue State and the Fulani herdsmen. I even invited them to my house in Abakaliki to discuss their cows that were allegedly killed,” Igwe Ebe explained.

He stated that despite these discussions, violence erupted on Sunday.

“The herdsmen attacked a total of three villages—Amagu, Amaokwe, and Umunesha. We are still recovering bodies. The number of casualties has now increased to 15, and we are still searching for two others,” he said.