The allegations have heightened concerns among residents and observers, with calls for urgent investigation and action by relevant authorities.
Some camps belonging to jihadist killer herdsmen have been reportedly discovered in Ezeagu communities and their villages in Enugu State, with renewed calls for the Nigerian government's attention in the areas.
A new security report obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday highlighted the camps in Ezeagu communities and villages to include; Imezi-Owa, Agu-obu-Owa, Olo, Mgbagbu-Owa and Oghe.
"These areas are said to be most affected," the report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) stated.
Intersociety raised the alarm over the discovery of "more than 20 jihadist terror dens" operating in forests across communities in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
In the report released by its investigative team, the organisation said the camps were uncovered during recent field findings in the area.
According to Intersociety, the alleged camps are highly organised and follow a layered structure.
“The dens of terror are also found to have been structurally divided into six layers, with each camp coordinated by an alhaji who is also a member of the Nigerian security forces-protected Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria-MACABAN and placed in charge of a group of Ezeagu forests and their living environs-with his herds of cattle roaming freely and destroying lives, properties and livelihoods unchecked and with reckless abandon.”
The group alleged that the operations are coordinated around the Ajali River axis.
“The six-layered Jihadist Fulani structures are also generally linked to the Ajali River and its Valley as their terror headquarters from where jihadist activities are coordinated and spread across the affected fourteen Ezeagu Communities and their villages; out of which Ezeagu Communities and Villages of Imezi-Owa, Agu-obu-Owa, Olo, Mgbagbu-Owa and Oghe are said to be worst affected.”
Intersociety said the situation has had severe environmental and economic consequences, particularly for communities dependent on the Ajali River.
“Ajali River, Its Farmlands Home To Enugu And Ebonyi Pump-Water And Cassava Since 1980s: The Ajali River is uniquely one of the cleanest river-water for healthy human consumption in the SouthEast, through which Enugu and Ebonyi States’ pump-water schemes originated since 1980s.”
“Until the Jihadist mayhem swept across the area, Ajali River and its environs also housed one of the largest cashew industries in Enugu State and the entire South-East.”
The organisation further recalled the river’s role in sustaining farming settlements and local markets.
“The Great Ajali River (with decrease capacity during rainy seasons and increase capacity during dry seasons) lies between communities of Agu-obu-Owa (headquarters of Ezeagu Local Government Area) and Uwa-Imezi, joining their age-long farm settlements especially the Ife-Agu Imezi-Owa Community Farm Settlement.”
“Communities of Mgbagbu-Owa and Olo also draw their natural goodies from the Great Ajali River, now desecrated by Jihadist Fulani Mayhem since 2010. As of 2009, cassava crops were produced in industrial quantity from fertile Ajali River Farmlands especially at Ife-Agu Imezi-Owa Community Farm Settlement and their major traders were from Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi.”
“There also used to be “Eke-Abonuzu Imezi-Owa Community Cassava Market”, the largest cassava market in Enugu State in the 1980s. Today, the Market, visited by our investigative team on Friday, December 12, 2025, has become a shadow of itself owing to Ezeagu Jihadist Fulani Mayhem dating back to 2010.”
Intersociety further alleged that the camps are headquartered in Agu-obu-Owa, close to a secondary school.
“The six layered Jihadist terror camps or dens of terror are headquartered at Agu-obu-Owa, close to Fatimah Secondary School and divided into six, with each headed by a Fulani Muslim leader or Alhaji and placed in charge of herds of cattle under designated Ezeagu communities and their forests.”
The report also named an individual it described as the overall coordinator of the camps.
“Among the six leaders (Alhajis) in charge, their head is called “Alhaji Sani” of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACABAN) who is also said to a resident of “Ama Hausa-Fulani” in the Ninth Mile part of Enugu State and has been fingered in the coordination of area’s Jihadist Fulani reign of terror since 2010.”
According to the organisation, the Ajali River valley has been turned into a zone of fear for surrounding communities.
“As a result, the Ajali River and its Valley, a hitherto pride of the area in aquatic environment; has religiously been transformed into dens of terror against many communities of Ezeagu.”
Intersociety said its intervention followed recent discoveries and distress calls from residents.
It noted that its “advocacy intervention had arisen following our recently discovered six-layered Jihadist groups that invaded, occupied and terrorized the Ajali River and its Valley and laid permanent siege on many surrounding communities especially the Ezeagu Communities of Imezi-Uwa, Agu-obu-Owa, Mgbagbu-Owa, Oha-Ndiagu and Olo and their forests since 2010, resulting religiously motivated violent attacks since 2016.”
The organisation also linked the situation to earlier attacks in other parts of Enugu State.
“The received distress calls followed our Special Report of Nov 10, 2025, cataloguing Jihadist Herdsmen attacks on twelve Anglican and two Catholic Church Parishes in Aguamede, Abor and Mgbuji areas of Eha-Amufu in Enugu State, resulting in the massacre of more than 117 parishioners, out of which, bodies of eight parishioners at various stages of decomposition were buried in one Church Compound alone,” the report stated.
It added that, “The Eha-Amufu Jihadist Fulani attacks emanated from Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen camps in neighbouring Benue State, perpetrated untracked between May 2021 and June 2025.”
Intersociety further disclosed that, “Team Intersociety also in the Report disclosed how six AK-47 armed Jihadist Fulani Militants on Nov 7, 2025, opened fire on Onitsha-bound commercial vehicles heading to Enugu-forcing passengers to be stranded for hours at Nkwo-Ezeagu Market Square, from where they were later rescued by an armed security escort and safely escorted out of the danger zone.”
The allegations have heightened concerns among residents and observers, with calls for urgent investigation and action by relevant authorities.
In July 2024, it was reported that at least 10 persons were reported dead and several houses burnt following an attack on Mgbagbu-Owa community in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State by Fulani herdsmen.