Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
One person has been killed and four injured in Ekoli Edda, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in a suspected political attack by thugs.
It was reliably learned from sources in the community that houses and other valuable properties were destroyed in the multiple attacks.
Two rival political groups have been battling for supremacy in the community, with lives lost and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
Sources in the community said that the thugs targeted allies and supporters of a former Council Chairman, Eni Uduma Chima.
The source said thugs who carried out the attacks were over 10 in number.
A member of the community, Chima Oko Obasi, said the the thugs first attacked the community around 10:am and killed one Okoro Obasi of Ndibom village in the community.
His body was later conveyed to the mortuary.
Mr Obasi alleged that the children of the deceased and their friends were also attacked and heavy machete cuts inflicted on them.
The thugs also attacked and destroyed houses and other properties belongings to residents of the community.
Mr Obasi said the thugs will later lay ambush and attack the former Chairman of the Local Government and former House of Assembly member Eni Uduma Chima in Mgborokuma in the community.
Mr Chima was said to be returning from an inspection of the torched houses including the one belonging to one Ama Okoro Ibiam, a Port Harcourt-based businessman.
Corroborating the incident, another eyewitness, Nnachi Ndem, said: “we were at Mgborokuma when ‘Catcham boys’ came there and started shooting at us. Three people nearly lost their lives.
“They have been attacking us since our members returned from prison following the amnesty granted them by our dear governor, Francis Nwifuru.
“Our people are not happy, and we are waiting to see how the government will handle this sad incident,” he said.
He warned that the community may rise up in self-defence if nothing definite is done immediately to arrest the situation.
Mr Eni Uduma Chima also confirmed the report adding that the dead victim of the attack was a relative.
He said: “Yes, I was called from Ekoli-Edda this morning (yesterday) and informed about the death of my uncle, Mr. Okoro Obasi of Ndibom village, Ekoli-Edda.
“The deceased was attacked by thugs known in the village as Catcham Boys. The deceased sustained internal bleeding and died this morning at his house.
“The offence he committed against his killers is that his son was involved in the amnesty programme, and the man is related to me.”
Eni said upon receiving the report, he quickly left Abakaliki for his Ekoli-Edda community to de-escalate the tension already brewing in the area.
“After depositing the body, I inspected damages done to people’s property and calmed them down. I went to inspect a house set ablaze by the thugs, and while coming out from the scene, they launched a shooting attack on me and people with me.
“They shattered the windows of my Prado jeep and injured three persons in the process, by name: Chinoyerem Ikwor, Uka Anya Egwu and Udu Uche. They sustained varying degrees of bullet wounds and are receiving treatments in the hospital as we speak.”
Mr Eni called on security agencies to swiftly arrest all those involved in the atatcks in the interest of law and order.
He said the people troubling the community are fewer than 20 persons.
“If the community rises up in self-defence, the community will still be tagged as violent and heartless. They have been provoking them since they were granted amnesty by His Excellency, the Governor, in March.
“And those my supporters have been enduring a lot from them. There is a limit to the test of their patience, and I want the government and the whole world to know this before the people run out of patience,” he said.
Police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident.
He however explained that he does not have details of the incident but the command has deployed its men to calm the situation.
