FROM ONYEKACHUKWU, MELUWA
No fewer than nine people have been killed in a renewed communal war between the people of Ebiem Ekpa-Omaka and their neighbours, Mgbabor Inyimagu, both in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Reports indicate that while two people were killed in Mgbabor Inyimagu, seven persons lost their lives in Ebiem Ekpa-Omaka during the latest round of hostilities. Many houses, economic trees and personal belongings were razed in the violence.
The two communities have a long history of bloody clashes that have claimed many lives and destroyed properties over the years.
On January 31, 2012, a massacre occurred in Ndegu Akataka of Ekpa-Omaka, allegedly carried out by suspected warlords. Six years later, on March 7, 2018, fighting broke out again despite peace efforts by government, leading to more killings, including that of a soldier from the community who had returned home over a family member’s deteriorating health. That attack also left many homes destroyed and thousands displaced.
Fresh violence erupted on April 16 when a man working on his farm was attacked and killed, sparking another round of bloodshed. A cleric from Ekpa-Omaka, Jude J.E, said the victim, Azubuike Nwakpu was killed by suspected attackers from the rival community and his body taken away and was not recovered.
He said the August 9 assault on Ebiem Ekpa-Omaka was particularly brutal, with armed militias and hired fighters surrounding the community around 2pm, opening fire indiscriminately on residents of Ebiem and Mbada Akahufu.
“This particular ringling of the nose also claimed the lives of people, both old and young, without being reported or brought to the attention of the government of the day,” the cleric lamented.
According to him, the violence escalated on August 10 when men in military uniforms stormed the villages, burning houses, killing and maiming residents of Ebiem and Akahufu Ekpa-Omaka, and taking away corpses to an unknown location.
He called on Governor Francis Nwifuru to urgently intervene and end the killings.
Confirming the renewed unrest, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, told our correspondent that the command had met with some stakeholders from the communities, including the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Moses Odunwa, over the matter on Thursday.
“I know there have been issues in the communities, but I don’t think there has been loss of lives. We even met with stakeholders of the communities. I will ask about the loss of lives. We were with the speaker of the House today and other stakeholders from those areas. Let me just call that area now,” Ukandu said.
