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Police meet with Assembly Speaker, others
From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
No fewer than nine lives have been lost in a renewed communal war between the people of Ebiem Ekpa-Omaka, Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, and their neighbours, Mgbabor Inyimagu, also in the local government.
While two persons were said to have been killed in Mgbabor Inyimagu, seven persons were killed in Ebiem Ekpa-Omaka, according to reports. Many houses, economic trees, and other belongings were burnt in the melee.
There has been an age-long crisis between the two neighbouring communities, with many lives lost and property destroyed.
On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, there was a massacre in Ndegu Akataka of Ekpa-Omaka by suspected warlords.
Six years later, precisely on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, the two warring communities returned to the trenches after efforts were made by the government to restore peace and killed many persons.
Among those killed during the incident was a soldier from the community serving outside the state who returned home over the worsening health of his family member.
Many properties were also burnt during the incident, with thousands of people displaced.
On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, another killing occurred in the two communities.
A cleric from Ekpa-Omaka, Jude J.E., said the killings were triggered by the attack on a man who was working on his farm, which led to his death.
He revealed that one of the villagers, Azubuike Nwakpu, from Ebiem Ekpa-Omaka, was also killed during that period, and his body was taken away by his killers and has not been found to date.
“In light of these happenings, the Ekpa-Omaka people were still trying to cope with the swooping venom of their neighbours.
“Another eclipse of fatality fell on the innocent lives of Ebiem Ekpa-Omaka indigenes on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 2 p.m. as the whole community was surrounded by armed militias and hired assassins with sophisticated weapons, as they opened fire on the entire community without a route for the people of Ebiem, Mbada Akahufu.
“This particular ringling of the nose has also claimed the lives of people, both old and young, without being reported or brought to the attention of the government of the day.
“To make things worse, people who disguised themselves in military uniforms invaded the community on Sunday, August 10, 2025, burnt down houses, killed and maimed the residents of both Ebiem and Akahufu Ekpa-Omaka, and carried away their corpses to an unknown location,” he said.
He called on Governor Francis Nwifuru to intervene in the crisis.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the renewed crisis.
He told Daily Sun that the command met with some stakeholders of the communities, including the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Moses Odunwa, this Thursday over the incident.
“I know there have been issues in the communities, but I don’t think there has been loss of lives. We even met with the stakeholders of the communities.
“I will ask about the loss of lives you are telling me. We were with the Speaker of the House of Assembly today and other stakeholders of those areas. Let me just call that area now,” he said.
