Tension In Ebonyi Communities Over Land Dispute, Govt Deploys Security Operatives

The government of Ebonyi State has declared a disputed land between the people of Ndukwe Community at Amasiri in Afikpo Local Government Area and Okporojo at Osso in Edda Local Government Area a buffer zone.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the action followed communal clashes between the two communities that had allegedly claimed some lives while houses and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

The Chairman of Afikpo LGA, Chief Timothy Nwachi, disclosed this in Abakaliki, adding that the state government had also deployed security operatives to the buffer zone to de-escalate tension and restore normalcy in the two communities.

Nwachu said the renewed hostility was unfortunate, and appealed to the people of areas to remain calm pending the state government’s decision on the matter.

Speaking also, the Chairman of Edda LGA, Mr Chima Ekumankama, said about four persons were allegedly killed at Okporojo Idima in Osso Edda during the attack, noting however that security operatives had been deployed to restore normalcy in the affected communities.

He said, “I assure the people of government’s commitment towards ending the lingering dispute. They should reman calm and law-abiding.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Joshua Ukandu, said he had not been briefed about any attack that occurred in the area.

It was gathered that the land dispute had lasted for decades with the past administration succeeding in obtaining a white paper issued by a committee it set up to look into the crisis.

Tension In Ebonyi Communities Over Land Dispute, Govt Deploys Security Operatives is first published on The Whistler Newspaper