By Our Reporter
The Ebonyi State government says it will relocate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) arising from the Effium, Ezza Effium intra-communal crisis to a tent.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr Kenneth Ugbala disclosed this on Friday while briefing newsmen at the end of the State Executive Council Meeting in Abakaliki.
Ugbala said that the tents would be mounted in locations that did not witness much of the destructions that took place in the area.
He mentioned such areas to include Nwekendeagu and Akpurata villages as well as Effium town.
The SSG said that the facilities would receive regular food and medicine supplies as well as security, adding that the IDPs would remain there until their houses were reconstructed.
He said that the state government was happy with the gradual return of peace in the community and that the IDPs would soon be taken to their tents.
“The displaced persons have become tenants of circumstances who take refuge in open places in Abakaliki and its suburbs. The relocation process will commence with no further reports of shootings and killings,” he said.
Also, the Commissioner for Border, Peace and Internal Security, Mr Stanley Okoro-Emegha confirmed that relative calm had returned to Egedegede Community and others recently attacked by hoodlums.
Okoro-Emegha, however, said that the state government was concerned that 66 suspects arrested in connection with the Effium, Ezza Effium communal crisis were released.
“We can confirm that the 66 suspects arrested over the Effium, Ezza Effium communal conflict were released by the security agencies.
“The state government has set up a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding such unauthorised release,” he said.
Okoro-Emegha said that security has been beefed at the affected communities to ensure that such attack did not re-occur.
Recall that the Effium crisis started in January 2021 due to a motor-park squabble and has led to the death of many people and destruction of property worth millions of naira.
