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Tag: Abia community

  • Tension in Abia community as medical doctor dies after consuming local gin 

    Tension in Abia community as medical doctor dies after consuming local gin 

    Palpable tension has gripped the Nenu community in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State following the sudden death of a medical doctor, identified simply as Tony, who reportedly died after consuming local gin served by a kinsman. 

    The tragic incident, which occurred on Boxing Day, has left the community in shock and mourning. 

    Residents described the doctor’s death as devastating, particularly as he had been seen alive and well on Christmas Day. 

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    A friend of the deceased, identified as Agbara, recounted the events: “This is disheartening. Someone alive and well on the 25th was poisoned through a drink on the 26th. He vomited and passed away. The kinsman who served him the drink fled with his family upon realising what had happened.” 

    Reports indicate that the kinsman’s sudden disappearance has heightened suspicions of foul play. Locals believe the drink may have been poisoned, although they insist that an autopsy and thorough investigation are needed to confirm the actual cause of death. 

    The incident has sparked outrage in the community, with residents demanding justice and calling for authorities to uncover the truth behind the tragedy. 

    At the time of filing this report, it was unclear whether the matter had been formally reported to the police.

    Efforts to reach Maureen Chinaka, spokesperson for the Abia State Police Command, were unsuccessful.

  • Abia community in fear as gunmen invade, kill two

    Abia community in fear as gunmen invade, kill two

    Panic has gripped residents of Umuchima community in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State following an early morning invasion by unidentified gunmen today, Friday, November 29. The attack has reportedly left many residents fleeing their homes for safety.

    According to unconfirmed reports, the gunmen, who stormed the community unexpectedly, killed a man known as Osama. The assailants accused him of providing information about their activities to the Nigerian Army, which recently carried out a raid in the area.

    Another victim, identified as the local vigilante commander, was also killed during the attack. His name could not be immediately confirmed.

    The incident has thrown the community into chaos, with many residents abandoning their ancestral homes and seeking refuge in neighboring towns. Fear of further violence has heightened as villagers anticipate potential retaliation from either the gunmen or security forces.

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    This attack follows a raid earlier this week by the Nigerian Army on a suspected hideout of the gunmen in the same Umuchima community. The soldiers, drawn from various units under the 14 Brigade Army Headquarters at Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Barracks, Ohafia, engaged the gunmen—believed to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—in a fierce gun battle.

    During the operation, which took place around 6 a.m. on Monday, the army overpowered the gunmen, forcing them to flee and abandoning motorcycles and other items at their camp.

    Despite the raid, there has been no official statement from either the Abia State government or the Nigerian Army regarding today’s retaliatory attack by the gunmen.

  • Tension as residents discover bodies in Abia community

    •IPOB seeks probe into killing of ‘members’

    There is tension among residents of Obiawon village in Ogwe Autonomous Community of Asa in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State are living in fears, following the discovery of bodies of yet-to-be identified persons in a nearby forest.

    The people expressed the fear that innocent residents might be arrested by security agencies who have been visiting the community since the residents discovered the bodies.

    They urged appropriate authorities to avert an outbreak of epidemic in the agrarian community.

    Efforts by our reporter to visit the scene of the discovery were unsuccessful.

    Some resident, who did not want to be mentioned, told our reporter that apart from the bodies of four persons found in a section of the forest, the bodies of over 30 other persons were said to have been dumped in a ditch in another section of the forest.

    A source, who claimed to have seen the bodies, said they had started decomposing, indicating that they might have been dumped in the last two weeks.

    He added: “We are not at war with any community. Our people are farmers. We were shocked when we saw the bodies in a forest in the village. One wonders who took us unawares and dumped these bodies.

    “We are confused. Something urgent should be done to avert an outbreak of disease in our community.”

    Also, the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the killing and dumping of the body of the deceased persons in Abia community.

    A statement yesterday by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, claimed that the bodies were those of the pro-Biafra members who were allegedly arrested and detained in various army camps across the state during the Operation Python Dance II in the Southeast.

    It said: “The site of these decomposed bodies should be designated as an international crime scene and promptly investigated.”

    Efforts to reach the spokesman of the 14 Brigade command headquarters of the Army at Ohafia, Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi, were unsuccessful.

    His number could not be reached last night.

    But a source at the command debunked allegation, saying it was the figment of the pro-Biafra group’s imagination.

     

  • Suspected herdsman defiles girl, 14, in Ebonyi community

    A suspected Fulani herdsman has allegedly defiled a 14-year-old girl, Favour Okugbo, at Umuifi Anioma-Isu in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    The pupil of Union Secondary School at Agueke-Isu had been admitted at an undisclosed medical facility for treatment.

    A community leader Festus Nwachukwu said Fulani herdsmen in Umuifi Anioma-Isu threatened the peace and the agricultural revolution of the state government.

    He noted that the herdsmen had been destroying farm produce and threatening the peaceful coexistence of the residents.

    According to him, even though the suspect has been arrested by the police, his action remains an abomination to the land.

    Nwachukwu said: “We are going to carrying out a cleansing ceremony on the land so that it will remain fertile.

    “The Fulani herdsmen are destroying our farms. If you want to talk to them, they will threaten you with knives. Our major occupation is farming, but we can no more farm because of this menace. The herdsmen are fond of using their cows to destroy our farmlands and crops.

    “The government policies on agriculture are being threatened in Onicha Local Government Area. I came back from church on April 9 and learnt that this girl was raped by a Fulani man when she went to the farm to get vegetables. She was threatened that if she refused, he would kill her. He used the knives to beat her on the back and then raped her.

    “What has happened is an abomination on our land. The man has damaged the fertility of the land and we are going to use cows, fowls and many cartons of beer and palm wine to bless the land.”

    Favour, who said she had been sad over the incident, urged the government to probe the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the community to protect the girls from sexual assault.

    She said: “I went to the farm to fetch vegetables when I was attacked by a Fulani herdsman. He came to our farm with his cows. He asked me if I had some water and food and I said no. He went to get more cows to surround me and told me that if I allowed him to have sex with me, he would give me N700. I refused and started running away. He chased me and hit me with the back of his cutlass. I fell and he raped me.

    “I feel sad. I want the government to come to my aid as young girls like me are no longer safe to go to the farm and help our parents. The government should arrest Fulani herdsmen and prosecute them according to the law. Every Fulani herdsman caught doing bad things should be made to leave our land.”

    A member of the State Committee on Herdsmen, Mr. Amechi Oken, hailed Governor David Umahi for putting machineries in place to checkmate the excesses of herdsmen.

    He said the committee usually visited locations where skirmishes between herdsmen and farmers occurred to resolve any misunderstanding.

    Police spokesperson Loveth Oda, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the command had not received any report on the incident.

    She promised to investigate the matter and get back to our reporter.

    The Nation could not get her response last night.

     

  • Abia community relishes peace

    Abia community relishes peace

    The people of Umudike community in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia state have given kudos to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for restoring peace in their community.

    The community and a neighbouring one, Umuelele, were on the verge of shedding blood when  the governor intervened.

    They said that they were obliged to thank the governor for arresting an impending war which, if it was allowed to start, would have led to bloodshed. They said the government allowed reason to prevail, seeing that they are one.

    Speaking with The Nation at Umudike, a leader of the community, Chief Patrick Nwadinobi. said that Umudike community is made up of three brothers, Umuofo, Umuelele and Okwuta and that they are the landlords of both Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and National Roots Crops Research Institute.

    Nwadinobi said that there are numerous visitors living among them especially at the two national institutions, adding that any violence  among them would affect the entire community including their visitors which will not augur well for the image of their community.

    He said that in 2002 that the then government of Orji Uzor Kalu created the Umudike autonomous community with the late Eze Godwin Enyinnaya as their traditional ruler from Umuofo, “Now that he is late the stool rotates to Okwuta as we agreed earlier”.

    The community leader said that when they agreed that the stool should be rotational, “But our brothers from Umuelele who after fighting to produce the traditional ruler and failed decided to fight for their own autonomous community”.

    Nwadinobi said that the disposition of the people of Umuelele led to squabbles that nearly tour the Umudike community apart but for the grace of God, “They Umuelele people have been fighting to take over Amokwe village square which belongs to all of us”.

    He explained that the problem led to a verification group from the state house of assembly after receiving our protest letter, “After their visit they told us to wait for their decision as we were on the verge of killing ourselves”.

    The community leader said that the three kindreds live among each other as there was no definite boundary separating them from each other, stressing that they share everything in common including Catholic and Methodist Churches, markets, stream and schools.

    He recalled that The Nation had earlier in 2013 reported on the problem by the people of Umuelele which led to the entire community missing out from government projects, as government never wanted to site any project in a problem prone area.

    Nwadinobi said that despite the fact that the people of Umuelele were granted their Umudike Ukwu autonomous community, “their name was not gazetted by the state government even when they had already elected their own traditional ruler in the person of Eze Ben Oriaku.

    He noted that the problem created by the people of Umuelele would have led to a full blown war among them, “If not for the fact that we have been withholding our youths, we would have had a serious bloodbath on our hands which would have affected our guests.”

    The Umudike community leader later produced a letter from the state ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs dated 18, 2017 and addressed to the council chairman titled, ‘De-listing of Umudike Ukwu autonomous community, Ikwuano local government area’.

    The letter reads in part, “May I refer to the above subject and inform you that the former Umudike Ukwu autonomous community in Ikwuano local government area has been de-listed as autonomous community”.

    “This action is predicated on the Abia state of Nigeria Traditional Rulers and Autonomous communities (Amendment No.1) law, 2015 which came into force  on the 29th Day of May 2015”.

    “By this letter, Umudike Ukwu autonomous community should as a matter of urgency collapse to its present autonomous community, with immediate effect. You are therefore requested to facilitate the retrieval of staff of office of the former Eze Ben Oriaku while all allowances and entitlements accruable to him should cease from henceforth”.

    The people carried placards with some of them reading, Umudike express gratitude to the governor for making peace among them, We thank the ABHA for their justice after verification, among others.

  • Millions gone as tanker fire razes Abia community

    Millions gone as tanker fire razes Abia community

    A tanker conveying an unidentified fuel exploded yesterday at Ehere community in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

    Several and property estimated at millions of naira were said to have been destroyed in the fire.

    Eyewitnesses said the fire, which raged between 2 p.m to 3 p.m, caused pandemonium in the area.

    The whereabouts of the driver of the tanker, which had no registration number, could not be established last night.

    Unconfirmed report said some pupils at a private school in the area sustained various degrees of injury as they scampered for safety.

    The Nation gathered that efforts to bring men of the state fire service to put out the fire failed.

    This, it was learnt, propelled the residents to resort to self-help.

    But the raging fire prevented them from entering some homes.

    Narrating the incident to our reporter, a resident who identified himself simply as Chukwuma, said: “The tanker driver was driving across our community. We have not been able to determine the content of the truck. It got to this point after bumping into a gallop. Then, the driver jumped down from the truck.

    “Before you could say jack, there was a loud noise, which threw the whole place into flame. People were running from every direction for safety, leaving shops open and cars behind. No pin was saved.

    “You know it is Monday; many shop owners had stocked their shops with goods at the weekend. Many others were yet to finish the drinks they could not sell at the weekend.

    “Opposite us, the owner of the shop had about five refrigerators that were stocked with drinks. All of them were consumed. It is better told than experienced. Many people were injured.

    “We thank God that no life has been lost as we speak. We tried to call men of fire service, but they said they didn’t have diesel. We learnt that a Good Samaritan bought gas for them and before they could come, everywhere was engulfed and no pin was saved.

    “But before their arrival, we were using water from the waterlogged road to pour into the fire until it was put out. But the damage had been done.”

    Over 10 shops were razed.

    The traditional ruler of Ehere community, Eze Young Nwangwa, described the incident as one too many.

    The monarch regretted the effect it would have on the affected shop owners.

  • Tension in Abia community over alleged secret burial on controversial

    The Okagwe community in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State is enveloped in tension over an alleged clandestine attempt by a family to bury their late father on controversial property contrary to the decision of the village’s council of elders.

    It was learnt that strangers are being treated with suspicion after the attempted secret burial was foiled.

    The situation, noted indigenes, could lead to a breakdown of law and order.

    It was learnt that the family of one Chief Uche, who died recently, approached the village elders for a suitable burial  date as tradition demands, and the village Elders-in-Council, the governing body of the community, gave them November 11 as a burial date with a caveat not to bury their father in a disputed house.

    On Friday, September 30, 2016, however, the children of the late Uche, aided by some policemen, allegedly brought his remains late in the night and secretly dug a grave in one of the rooms of the disputed property with a view to bury him there and cover up the grave.

    It was learnt that the plan was foiled by members of the community’s vigilance group, after one of the armed policemen that accompanied the grave diggers got drunk and let out the plan during a telephone conversation with an unidentified colleague.

    It was gathered that the vigilance group apprehended the grave diggers, who revealed during interrogation how they were hired for the plan.

    The grave diggers were afterwards sent out of the community.

    Our correspondent gathered that the policemen that allegedly protected the grave diggers were on illegal duty.

    It emerged that they came from Benue State on the instruction of a senior police officer that is close to the family of the deceased.

    Commenting on the development, one of the community leaders who asked not to be named, said: “It is a sacrilege. What happened was an abomination and unheard of not just in the history of our community but the entire Ohafia town.”

    “The late Chief Uche’s family and their cousins are engaged in dispute over ownership of a house in the community. Subsequently, the late Uche‘s children were banned from burying their father in the disputed property on Amaguzo Road, Okagwe.

    One of the daughters of the deceased, Chioma, did not answer her mobile phone number on Thursday and failed to reply to a text message sent to the number.

    A few hours later, a man who would not be named and who claimed to be Chioma’s husband, later called back and declined comments on the ground of being an in-law of the family. He said: “I am Chioma’s husband, but I cannot speak on the matter because I am a son in-law to the family. Moreover, this telephone number belongs to me and not my wife.

    However, the secretary of Okagwe Development Union (ODU), Mr. Michael Huomah, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation. “Yes,” he said. “It is true that there was an attempt to secretly bury the man (Uche) but it was foiled by the community’s vigilante group. I think that one of those hired to do the job let out the information and the community promptly prevented them from carrying out such assignment.

    “The community took that decision because the disputed property on which the burial was to be carried out is currently a subject of litigation in a state High Court and we felt that they should wait for the outcome of the case before embarking on such plan.

    “It is somehow strange that they resorted to clandestinely dig a grave in the compound after the actual burial has been scheduled for November and the community’s leadership felt the attempted secret burial was out of proportion. We have one of the most efficient vigilante group in Ohafia and they have their ears on the ground to forestall any breakdown of law and order.”