It was learned that residents of the area had earlier warned the herders against the destruction of their farms by their cows but ignored the warning.

However, ESN operatives chased the herdsmen out of the bush, warning them not to return if they value their lives.

But in a tweet via his Twitter page on Sunday, Nnamdi Kanu said he approved the operations by the ESN to protect his people.

The secessionist added that his men would not just sit back and watch the people of the South East get killed in the name of peace.

He wrote: “If left to the hypocrites c** peace-makers we have in #Nigeria, all of us would be dead by now.

“To them defending oneself, fighting for your right, is beating the drums of war.

“You can only live in peace with people that want to live in peace with you.”