Nigeria: Burial of Victims of Fulani Herdsmen

Photo credits to: Rev. Fr. Ambrose Ekeroku, CAPIO for SiliTalkBlog.

On April 25, 2016, the village of Nimbo, Enugu State, South East Nigeria was attacked by over 500 Fulani herdsmen vandals who massacred scores of villagers. Fulani herdsmen are known to be a violent group of herdsmen known for savage killings in Nigeria. The Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium describe Nigeria's herdsmen as an active terrorist group in Nigeria.

On June 17, 2016, nine of the victims of the herdsmen attack on Ukpabi Nimbo, an agrarian community in the Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State, were laid to rest. According to Punch Newspaper-Nigeria, earlier, some other victims of the attack, especially “those whose bodies were already decomposing by the time they were discovered in the bush several days after the incident, were buried earlier.” In addition, “some other corpses are yet to be buried.” Both the Punch and Daily Post Newspapers reported that that at the April 25 burial ceremony, several dignitaries attended, including Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, the Senator representing Enugu North in the National Assembly, Chuka Utazi, a former minister, Nnia Nwodo, and members of the State Executive Council and House of Assembly were equally at the event.

The Punch Newspapers also clarified that “the victims were not given a mass burial – different bereaved families took the remains of their deceased to their individual compounds, where graves were dug, in various parts of the community.” It was a heartbreaking event as reported by the Punch Newspaper, “cries of anguish were heard all over the community, particularly from the compounds of the bereaved families, as the victims were being buried, almost simultaneously…before their remains were committed to the earth, a general burial service was held for all the victims, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Nimbo.”

Rev. Fr. Ambrose Ekeroku, a Carmelite priest who runs the Carmelites Prisoner's Interest Organization (CAPIO) was also present at the burial ceremony and provided the following photos: Photo credits to: Rev. Fr. Ambrose Ekeroku, CAPIO.