40 allegedly killed in Ebonyi communal clash, as residents flee homes

From Okoh OMAKA, Abakaliki

Over 40 persons have been reportedly killed in a communal clash between Amasiri community in Afikpo North local government area and Okporojo community in Edda local government area of Ebonyi state. The two neighbouring communities have been engaged in an age-long communal war over a parcel of farm land.

However, hostilities broke out again recently when in March 2024, the Amasiri people who went to share farm land in preparation for cultivation were attacked and five persons were allegedly and two abducted by Okporojo people claiming that the land belongs to them.

Investigations by THE BEAGLE NEWS revealed that around  July 2024, Okporojo people invaded Ozaraokangwu, a farm settlement belonging Amasiri, and set many houses ablaze and burnt the occupants, again, in December same year, the Idume, Okporojo, and Ogiri people invaded Ozaraokangwu, Akanto and, Ahie Enyi and abducted some people and burnt houses.

It was further learnt that in early 2025, before they resumed the Uke Ogo Ndukwe, some youths, who went for some community sanitary work, were attacked and four abducted and till date they have not been seen.

Just on Friday last week, the Okporojo, Idume, Ogiri and Oso hired and some assassins who came in army uniform into Ozaraokangwu at about 2:00am and abducted one Sunday Oko in the presence of his wife and kids and tortured him to death, brought out another man and gave him some machete cuts till he bled to death. An eye witness said when the Amasiri youths went in search of the abducted Sunday Oko, the Okporojo, Idume, Ogiri people laid ambush and again killed about five persons.

Reacting, a community leader, who simply Emma Ndukwe, expressed dismay that the Okporojo, Idume, Ogiri and Oso, who came with cap in hand begging us for a land for palm oil production after several years of working for Amasiri people on hire they asked for a portion of the land, have now have turned around to kill us.

He said: “I think it is high time government white paper in the crises between Oso and Akaeze is released to show that these people are bent on causing crises. Also the report of the peace and resolution committee constituted to look into the matter of March crises should be implemented.

“Now the information reaching us has it that they're planning to come together against Amasiri people who are their landlords that's the whole of Edda L.G.A.is coming together to fight against Amasiri people, with heavy arms piled up by one of their sons known as Ochiri Ozuo from Nguzu who's also a drug dealer.

“But so long as that land belongs to our forefathers they'll not succeed for the Almighty God will protect and fight against all our enemies. We also want to remind our local government chairman that this fight isn't just for Amasiri alone it has political undertones as this land is Amasiri.

“Amasiri is in the Afikpo local government. We call of government to investigate Eni Uduma the Edda local government chairman for his alleged role in the recent crises especially the two men who came with army uniform and killed our people in their own houses at Ozaraokangwu.

“We want to sound loud and clear that we will not fold and watch our people been killed without self-defense as it's universal for everyone to defend himself and every community to protect herself from every external aggressions, we are ready to die for our inheritance from our forefathers.”