A young woman from Amansi has delivered a harrowing account of a violent assault that left her brother critically injured and her family traumatized, after suspected Fulani herdsmen stormed their farm earlier this week. The attackers, armed with machetes and rifles, allegedly held the siblings hostage, forcing them into degrading and life-threatening ordeals before letting one escape.
The victim, whose identity is being withheld for security reasons, said she was working alongside her siblings, Emmanuel and another sister, when armed men descended on their farmland. The intruders reportedly forced the siblings to walk on their knees at gunpoint, using machete blows and verbal threats to assert control.
Her brother Emmanuel was savagely beaten and struck on the head with a machete, sustaining deep cuts and severe head trauma. As the attackers searched for her sister, who had managed to flee into the bush, they made the remaining captives crawl across a river in what appeared to be a deliberate act of humiliation.
When the search failed, the assailants allegedly threatened to kill Emmanuel and attempted to coerce an act of incest, ordering the brother to sexually assault his sister. Emmanuel’s refusal — declaring he would rather die — prompted the attackers to begin butchering him in front of her, an ordeal she described as the most horrifying moment of her life.
The woman recounted that the attackers then asked if she knew her way out of the bush. Upon answering yes, they ordered her to run. She heard the click of a rifle behind her as she fled towards the river, but their leader reportedly commanded them not to fire. She managed to escape and find safety, while the armed men retreated along their original path.
The attack has triggered outrage and renewed calls for urgent security interventions in rural communities across Anambra State. Local leaders say such incidents have become more frequent, with farmers living under constant fear of armed herdsmen. Rights groups have warned that without decisive action, farmlands will remain unsafe, threatening both livelihoods and food security.
Police authorities are yet to release an official statement on the Amansi attack, but community members insist the matter must not be swept under the carpet. They are demanding a full investigation, immediate medical support for Emmanuel, and increased security patrols in farmlands to deter future assaults.
