Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Four people, including two children, have been killed in a fresh attack on Ikembe Ezza Community, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, August 12, comes barely two weeks after a similar assault in Egumkpuma Ezza Community, also in Ivo LGA.
According to eyewitnesses, some gunmen stormed the village in the early hours, setting several houses ablaze.
The witness claimed the attackers were from Ishiagu. However, this claim could not be independently verified.
A middle-aged woman was reportedly slaughtered in a gruesome manner, while a young girl and two children were burned alive in their homes.
Graphic videos and photos of the aftermath have circulated widely on social media.
The victims have been identified as: Ms. Nwankwo Elum, Ikechukwu Basil, Nwali Bridget, and Ebenezer Nweke John.
On July 30, 2025, the Egumkpuma Ezza Community was similarly attacked, with homes torched and gunshots reported.
Also, last week a couple were abducted around the area by unknown persons.
Police attributed the previous incidents to long-running communal tensions in the area.
Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, CP Adaku Anthonia Uche-Anya, who had earlier visited the affected communities on August 11, 2025, has deployed more officers to restore peace.
Residents say her swift response brought temporary relief after the first attack, but they now fear renewed violence.
Peace advocate Dr. Sampson Oko Nweke, Chairman of the Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) in Ebonyi State, has called for urgent intervention from Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
He also urged the Ivo Local Government Chairman and community leaders to prevent the crisis from spiraling further.
“The perpetrators and those fanning the embers of this violence must be identified, apprehended, and brought to justice,” Nweke said.
Ezza communities in Ivo LGA include Egumkpuma, Ikembe, Amonye, and Ali Mmanu Enwu.
Two others — Ikpokor and Ameyo — were ceded to Abia State during the 1996 state creation exercise.
Police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said he had not yet gotten any details of yesterday’s incident.
He noted that the area has become volatile in recent times following disagreements between the Ezza and their hosts, the Ishiagu people.
He, however, noted that the police are doing all within their ability to ensure the matter is settled amicably and peace returns to the troubled area.
Chairperson of the Council, Emmanuel Ajah, said he traveled out of the local government for an important assignment but has received reports of the incident.
Meanwhile, the Traditional Ruler of Ihie Autonomous Community in Ivo Local Government Area of the state, Eze Gabriel Uzoma Okoro, has warned against spreading false information on the crisis that rocked the community recently.
He urged those spreading false information to desist from such acts to forestall an escalation of the crisis in the peaceful area.
In an interview with journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, Eze Okoro maintained that normalcy has been restored in the area, noting that it is not yet certain where the abducted couple is.
“We are just coming out from a meeting with the leadership of the police in the state, and I must commend the State Commissioner of Police for her commitment and determination in ensuring lasting peace in Ihie community.
“Let me also commend the State Governor, Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, and the Local Government Council Chairperson, Mr. Emmanuel Ajah, for their support and effort in the restoration of peace in our community. No community develops when there is crisis in the area.
“From our meeting and from information available to us, the police are yet to come out with a definite position or statement that the couple has been killed. We are still waiting for the police to conclude their investigation and come out with their definite report.
“Let me advise those spreading the rumor that the couple has been killed to desist from such and allow police to conclude their investigation and come out with their report. Such insinuations and rumors may jeopardize the effort being made by the police to ensure that the crisis does not escalate.
“When the couple was abducted, our youths mobilized and went in search of them but, unfortunately, they are yet to be seen,” he said.
Eze Okoro called on the people of the community to remain calm and law-abiding and not to take the law into their own hands.
“Let us eschew any form of violence or act capable of disrupting the peace process in the community.
“We are confident that the State Governor, the police, and the local government authority are on the matter and that an amicable resolution to the crisis will be achieved. Ihie is a peaceful community, and we will not allow anyone to instigate our youths into engaging in violent acts,” he said.
