Twenty-seven-year-old Nkiruka Okeke, a mother of four, recounts to Grace Edema how her husband, Oluzuluike, was stabbed to death by suspected herdsmen while working near a stream in Obuovia community, Enugu State
What do you do for a living?
I sell okpa (a local delicacy made from Bambara nuts) along the Enugu expressway.
Where exactly do you live?
I live in Onoli community, also along the expressway in Enugu. It’s a small community where many people survive through petty trading, farming, and sand-dredging jobs. That’s where I lived with my husband.
How old was your husband before his death?
He was 33 years old. He did manual labour, mostly dredging and packing sand from streams or riversides for building purposes. He would take the sand to the roadside for buyers. It was hard work, but that was how he provided for our family.
Can you tell us what really happened to him?
Everything happened so suddenly. On Friday, October 3, he woke up early, and we spoke. He told me to prepare the children for school before leaving for work. I didn’t know that would be the last time I’d ever see him alive.
Not long after he left, a man ran to our house shouting my name, asking me to hurry. He said my husband had been taken to the hospital. I was confused and terrified. When I asked what happened, he said my husband was stabbed by herdsmen.
I ran straight to the hospital and saw my husband lying there. He managed to speak briefly and said, “The herdsmen stabbed me in the chest.” Those were his last words. After that, he couldn’t speak again.
The doctors said he needed to be transferred immediately to the University Teaching Hospital, but before morning, he died. That’s how I lost him.
Did you see the injury yourself?
Yes, I did. He was stabbed in the chest. That was the only wound on his body; there were no other injuries.
Did the herdsmen take anything from him?
No. His phone, bag, and work tools were all found where he usually worked. My husband was very careful. He kept his bag and money safely hidden whenever he worked. He only carried his shovel and basin when digging sand.
How did people find out he had been attacked?
After being stabbed, my husband managed to run to the roadside. He met a man who sells gas near the expressway and begged for help. He told the man that he was stabbed by herdsmen. That was all he could say before collapsing. The man quickly rushed him to the hospital.
By the time I arrived, he was still alive but very weak. He looked at me, repeated those words about the herdsmen, and then fell silent.
What time of day did the attack happen?
According to the doctor and witnesses, it happened around 1 p.m. He had eaten at a canteen near the expressway before going to work. The attack happened at Obuovia, near a stream where he usually worked.
It’s not a public stream for fetching water; it’s mostly surrounded by farmlands and not deep inside the bush. People go there to wash, fetch water for farm work, or bathe before going home. It’s close to the expressway and not far from where people live. That’s why I still don’t understand how nobody saw the attackers clearly that day.
Did your husband usually work alone?
Most times, yes. That was his usual spot. Some passersby knew him and often greeted him. That Friday, they saw him earlier in the day but later heard what had happened. The place isn’t far from where people farm or walk to the market.
Was he involved in any argument with anyone before the attack?
No, never. My husband was a peaceful man. He didn’t fight with anyone. If he had, maybe his body would have shown signs of struggle. But the only wound he had was the stab to his chest.
Do you think this attack was planned?
I don’t know. Sometimes I feel maybe they had been targeting him. That place is open, and people pass by often. Maybe they were hiding and waiting to attack someone. I just don’t know. But I believe God sees everything.
How would you describe your husband as a person?
He was kind and hardworking. He struggled every day to feed us. Even when we had nothing, he remained a good man. Losing him like this is unbearably painful.
You mentioned that you have four children. How old are they?
Yes, I have four children; three boys and one girl. My first child, a girl, is eight years old. My second, a boy, is seven. The third is four, and the youngest is three years and three months old.
How are your children coping emotionally with their father’s death?
It’s not easy. They cry sometimes. My second son is currently unwell; his temperature is high. I took him to the pharmacy, and they gave him an injection, but he’s still weak and not eating much. I want to take him to the hospital, but I don’t have the money right now.
That must be very hard for you. How have you been coping since your husband died?
It’s been extremely tough. I cry every day. Some neighbours bring food or money when they visit, that’s how we’ve been surviving. The children are still small; they don’t understand everything yet, but they know their father is gone.
Just yesterday, my daughter came home from school crying because they were asked to buy new textbooks. I told her to wait and assured her that God would help us.
One of my children’s teachers came with her husband. They spoke kindly to me, saying they understood my situation. But still, I don’t know how I will buy the books or pay their fees now. Everything depends on God.
Has your husband been buried?
Not yet. His body has been taken to his village for burial. The men in our kindred are handling it.
You mentioned that herdsmen have been disturbing the community. Can you tell us more?
Yes, they’ve been troubling us for a long time. They move around the farmlands, and nobody can go there freely. They destroy crops, and when people challenge them, they attack. Even now, everyone is afraid. Many people have stopped farming. If you go there, you might not return.
Have you personally seen them before?
I’ve seen some passing with their cows near the market area, but not the ones in the bush. Those in the bush don’t come out. I’ve only heard stories of them attacking farmers and chasing people away.
Do they allow their cows to eat people’s crops?
Yes, they do. Their cows eat everything: rice, cassava, yams, and even vegetables. Last year, my husband and I planted rice. When it was time to harvest, the cows destroyed everything. All our efforts were wasted. Most people have stopped farming now.
That must have affected your livelihood badly.
Yes, it has. Before, we used to eat from our farm. Now, we have to buy everything from the market. Even to eat, you need money. That’s why my husband continued with the sand-dredging job; it was our only source of income.
What is your community doing about this situation?
We have community leaders, but I don’t really know what they are doing. Sometimes they say they’re trying, but nothing changes. These herdsmen are still around. People are afraid to go to the police because they say the herdsmen have powerful backers. I just pray that this ends.
If you could speak directly to the government, what would you say?
I would beg them to come to our rescue. We are dying silently. The government should send security operatives to drive these herdsmen out of our villages. People are hungry, poor, and scared. There’s no safety, no farming, nothing.
The government we have now doesn’t care. All they think about are elections and votes. After you vote for them, they forget you. We are just suffering. Even if you cry, nobody listens. I have lost my husband, and many others are suffering the same pain.
Have you received any help from relatives or friends?
They come to console me, bringing little food or some money. But everyone is struggling. I can’t depend on them. I just keep praying that God will help me raise these children. It’s not easy at all.
What are your hopes for your children’s education?
I want them to go to school. That was my husband’s dream too. Even if I suffer, I will make sure they are educated. I don’t want them to go through what we did. I don’t know how I’ll pay their school fees now, but I believe God will send help.
I will try to persevere. Even if I have no one to depend on, I will keep my faith in God. It’s not easy, but I know He will help me raise my children.
What do you wish for right now?
All I want is justice for my husband and protection for people like us. We are not safe. If the government doesn’t act, more people will die. I also pray that God gives me the strength to take care of my children. I have no one else; my hope is in God alone.
Sometimes, I sit and wonder where to begin: school fees, food, rent, everything. It’s overwhelming. But I know God will not forsake me. I just pray this never happens to another woman. My husband did not deserve to die like that. He only went out to work to provide for his family.
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