Clips of self-professed members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), opening fire on cows while chanting anti-Fulani statements surfaced on X on Wednesday. However, it is not a recent video.
The video clip, posted by X user @Pirtim, is several weeks old.
Watch the video below..
The clip shows some gun-wielding men firing multiple rounds at a group of cattle. In the background, voices are heard shouting, ‘ESN!’ We dey Biafra land!’ ‘Fulani must go!’ ‘We dey Biafra land,’ ‘Men at work,’ ‘We don’t want Fulani cows in our land,’ ‘We don’t want their cows in our land,’ ‘This is ESN,’ ‘Fulani must go.’
As the gunshots rang out, some of the cows were seen running while those hit by bullets collapsed. The gunmen chased after the animals that tried to flee.
Though the location and exact time of the incident are unclear, Facebook users who shared the video and a longer version of the clip earlier on February 27 and 28 claim it happened in Enugu State.
A caption by Izon-Ijaw Tv reads: “Men of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) launched an attack on Fulani herdsmen and their cows in Enugu in a bid to end the continuous killing of farmers by herdsmen.”
Another caption by Facebook user Ejiro Comedian reads in part: “Disturbing footage from Enugu, where reports indicate that ESN (Eastern Security Network) allegedly killed a large number of Fulani cattle.”
Although the intention of the poster is not clear, he shared the video with the following caption: “This level of cruelty to what end?” And it’s coming amid threats of reprisal attacks following the lynching of 16 northern travellers in Uromi, Edo State.
The victims were travelling to Kano State through Edo in March, but were burnt alive by some mobs who accused them of being kidnappers.
Since then, there has been growing tension and some outright calls for reprisals.
