War: Ebonyi community petitions Gov. Nwifuru, Police over alleged killing in droves of citizens

By, Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

The people of Umuobor, Akaeze in Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State on Wednesday called for the immediate intervention of governor Francis Nwifuru over the alleged killing in droves of its citizens by the rival community, Ogwor.

The Akaeze community equally called on the Commissioner of Police, Adaku Uche-Anya to immediately arrest the killers of some members of their community.

The Nations News Nigeria reports that the two communities; Umuobor (Akaeze) and Ogwor have been in land tussle for the past one hundred years.

It was gathered that Umuobor and Ogwor communities have been struggling for a vast fertile land known as Elueke which has claimed many lives with properties worth billions of naira destroyed.

Various courts judgement including that of the nation”s apex court which ruled that the Elueke land belongs to Umuobor village, ought to have ended the crisis but the  war took a more dangerous twist last year when many killings, destructions and abductions on both parties were  recorded.

Recall that governor Francis Nwifuru, angered by the killings, threatened that the government would take over the disputed land and declared it a buffer zone.

The governor held stakeholders meetings of the warring communities and set up a committee with a view to resolving the crisis.

Umuobor people in a petition to Governor Nwifuru through their Lawyer, Mike Ahamba (SAN) to the Governor and made available to The Nations News Nigeria, alleged that nine members of the community were still missing and feared dead.

They listed some members of the community killed in the crisis as John Chukwueke, Okaru Okoro and Sunday Eleke and urged the state Commissioner of Police to investigate their killings and prosecute those behind the dastardly act.

The petition reads in parts “Your Excellency, many people have in recent days been killed with nine people missing and feared dead. Some of the people confirmed killed are ; John Chukwueke, Okaru Okoro and Sunday Eleke.

“Your Excellency, why the perpetrators of these heinous acts of disobedience culminating in multiple acts of murders are not arrested by the police, is beyond my understanding.

“My very humble request is that you use your good offices to impress the security agencies in your state, and Chairman of the local government of the need to get Ogwor people to appreciate that the dispute has ended by the Supreme court decision instead of sharing the land as their point of settlement.

“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides in Section 287(1) this: “The decision of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by Courts of subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.

“Your Excellency, your government is one such authority in that State. Fortunately, you are a Lawyer. 

“It is also very necessary that you call on the Commissioner of Police to be very proactive in these circumstances. Failure to enforce this judgement by due process, will set a very nasty precedent for the future” they Stated.

In a swift reaction, the chairman of Ivo Local government area, Emmanuel AJah said that he has no time to respond to the alleged fresh killings, hence the state government has taken over the matter.