Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has described the banishment of the former chairman of Edda Local Government Area, Dr Eni Uduma Chima, and his younger brother, Uduma Chima, by the town union of the community as null and void.
The governor stated that the action of the town union against the two brothers contravenes the principles of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The community, known for its volatility due to recurring crises stemming from power struggles among political gladiators in the area, has been witnessing killings, maiming, and the destruction of property worth millions of naira over the past two months.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday when a member of the community, Udu Nnachi Uzor, was murdered by gunmen in his residence. His wife, Onyinye, who is nursing a two-month-old baby along with three other children, was left behind.
The widow alleged that a member of a political group in the area known as Catcham Boys killed her husband, and she called for the arrest of the individual, whom she identified as Deri.
Prior to Uzor’s murder, the town union and some stakeholders in the area had pronounced a seven-year banishment on the former local government chairman, Eni, and his brother, Uduma. They also imposed a fine of N106 million to be paid upon their return after the banishment.
The pronouncement has further escalated tensions within the community.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, visibly angered by the developments, summoned the warring factions to his office on Friday in a bid to find a lasting resolution to the crisis.
“We disagree on the banishment, we dis- agreed on one condition, that this banishment cannot hold because this banishment negates the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and because of that it cannot stand,” he said.
He warned that no civilian in the community, regardless of status, is permitted to bear arms, and he disbanded all warring groups in the area.
“No civilian, no matter who that person is, whether it’s Catcham Boys, whether it’s Trigger-happy Boys, whether it’s Amnesty Boys, anyone found with any ammunition or arms should be dealt with according to the rule of law.
“Two, Eni requested that his Mac truck diverted to unknown destination, should be returned to him. The community should provide his Mac truck and return it to him,” he ordered.
Governor Nwifuru further directed all warring groups to collapse their structures under the leadership of the town union and the community’s traditional ruler.
He also ordered the reactivation of the Ekoli Police Post, as recommended by Eni, to address the security situation in the area comprehensively.
