LAGOS, Nigeria 

More than 1,000 Nigerian women closed down economic and social activities Thursday in Enugu State as they protest incessant attacks on farmers by armed herdsmen.

The women from seven autonomous communities blocked a two-kilometer (1.2-mile) stretch of the Nkalagu-Afor Federal Highway in in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzu local government area. A similar protest was held Tuesday and Wednesday.

Protest leader Angela Ogenyi told Anadolu that hundreds of women have been killed or displaced from their farms and homes since 2021.

"We are being raped, beaten, and mutilated by criminal herdsmen for stopping their cattle from eating our crops," she said. “Our sons and husbands can no longer go to their farms. I have seen a situation where a herder inserted sticks into the private parts of our women. We can't continue like this.”

Protesters said efforts have been made several times to get the attention of authorities but the problem persists.

"Today, we … have decided to stage the mother of all protests to draw the attention of Gov. Peter Mbah to the killings,” according to a protester who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A long-simmering conflict between farmers and herders has escalated into one of Nigeria's most pressing security challenges, claiming thousands of lives and destabilizing communities across the country.

At its core, the crisis revolves around a struggle for control of dwindling resources, pitting farmers against herders in a bitter dispute.

The conflict, however, has taken on an increasingly divisive tone, exacerbating ethnic, regional and religious tensions that threaten to tear apart the country.

As the conflict continues to intensify, Nigeria's social fabric is being stretched to the breaking point with far-reaching consequences for stability.

When contacted for comment, a spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, said that “the matter is being looked at and under control.”