A rights group, the Worldwide Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Regulation (Intersociety), has reported that 14 church buildings in Enugu State had been attacked by armed jihadists between Could 2021 and June 2025, ensuing within the deaths of 117 worshippers.
The assaults occurred primarily in Eha‑Amufu, Isiuzo Native Authorities Space, and concerned 12 Anglican and a pair of Catholic church buildings. Recovered our bodies had been reportedly buried regionally.
Based on the report, the incidents embrace Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Mgbuji (Could 2021), which claimed 25 lives; St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Ogbete (January 2022), with 40 casualties; St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Ngene Aguiyi (January 2022), with 4 casualties; St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Mgbede (January 2022), which recorded no casualties; St. Michael and All Angels Church, Okpurigwu (January 2022), with 2 casualties; and Christ Church, Onumgba (January 2022).
Different affected church buildings listed had been Anglican Church, Obodoudo (January 2022) with 5 casualties; Anglican Church, Okpokwu‑Agumede (January 2022) with 4 casualties; Church of Introduction, Ememamanu (January 2023) with 1 casualty; All Saints Anglican Church, Onicha‑Ebia (March 2024) with 1 casualty; Christ Anglican Church, Amaofia (Could 2024) with 4 casualties; Victory Anglican Church, Iyiasa (June 2025) with 2 casualties; Our Saviour’s Iyi‑Asaa (June 2025) claiming 9 casualties; and St. Paul’s Ikpakpara (June 2025), which claimed 20 lives.
The report, signed by Intersociety Chairman Emeka Umeagbalasi and a workforce of human rights attorneys, famous that almost all residents fled their communities between Could 2021 and December 2024. Church companies solely resumed in 2025 underneath heavy safety, with many parishes remaining shut and abandoned.
Intersociety warned that the South‑East area is more and more underneath menace from jihadist Fulani militants, who’re allegedly occupying not less than 950 forest areas throughout 800 of the area’s 1,940 autonomous communities.
The group criticized the 5 South‑East governors for denying the presence of armed herders within the forests and stated its information reveals a harmful infiltration and saturation of militants within the area, posing extreme safety dangers to native communities and non secular establishments.
In September, the Enugu State Police Command stated it had arrested 5,176 suspected criminals, together with kidnappers, murderers, armed robbers, cultists, and different offenders, in a sustained crackdown on crime throughout the state.
State Commissioner of Police, Mamam Bitrus Giwa, disclosed throughout a press convention in Enugu that the operations passed off inside a interval of six months, between March 11 and September 11, 2025, since he assumed workplace because the twenty fourth Commissioner of Police within the state.
Based on him, the suspects had been apprehended at totally different occasions and areas by means of intelligence-led policing, raids on prison hideouts, stop-and-search duties, and tactical surveillance.
He revealed that 113 kidnapped victims had been rescued throughout the identical interval, with a lot of them already reunited with their households.
“We’ve got remained relentless in our pursuit of criminals and in guaranteeing that Enugu State continues to be protected for residents, buyers, and guests,” Giwa acknowledged.
