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Tag: Ebonyi community

  • Ebonyi community, mining company sign ₦2bn five-year agreement

    Ebonyi community, mining company sign ₦2bn five-year agreement

    The Ameka community in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has signed a landmark five-year Community Development Agreement (CDA) valued at over ₦2 billion with First Patriots Limited, marking a new phase in its long-standing mining history.

    The agreement, signed on Wednesday in the presence of state officials, community leaders, and other stakeholders, is designed to promote peaceful mining operations while delivering concrete development benefits to the host community.

    Speaking at the event, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Chidi Onyia, described Ameka as a “special community,” noting its historical significance as one of the earliest mining areas in Ebonyi State and the wider South-East.

    Onyia said historical records indicate that Ameka and neighbouring Enyigba were among the first locations where European explorers conducted mining activities more than a century ago.

    “Ameka has been on the world map for over 100 years. The first white men who came to Ebonyi worked here, and to the glory of God, these mineral resources have remained inexhaustible,” he said.

    He acknowledged community concerns over land ownership and mineral rights, explaining that while land is owned by individuals and state governments, mineral resources are vested in the Federal Government under Nigerian law.

    The commissioner urged residents to sustain cooperation with investors, stressing that development can come with challenges but must align with constitutional provisions and existing legal frameworks.

    He assured that the Ebonyi State Government would not allow any investor to exploit or impoverish the host community.

    “If the intention of First Patriots Limited is to come here and impoverish the Ameka people, the same state government supporting you will push you away,” he warned. “You are here to make a profit, yes, but you are also here to impact lives.”

    He further charged the company to go beyond the written agreement in fulfilling its social responsibilities, urging it to maintain a harmonious and respectful relationship with the people.

    “These are your landlords; you are their tenant,” Onyia said, adding that peaceful coexistence would guarantee ease of doing business and sustained government support.

    In his remarks, Satya Penneru, a Director at First Patriots Limited, said the company was fully committed to the agreement, which includes the provision of infrastructure such as roads, training programmes, scholarships, and other community development projects.

    “The total commitment is around ₦2 to ₦2.5 billion over five years, and that is 100 per cent what we intend to deliver,” Penneru said. “Beyond what is written, we will still do much more.”

    He noted that the company had been operating in Ebonyi State since 2015 and had never defaulted on its promises, adding that peace was critical to progress.

    “If peace is there, progress will automatically be there,” he said, citing examples where the company had helped resolve long-standing communal conflicts in other mining areas.

    Also speaking, a member of the community and Vice-Chancellor of Ebonyi State University, Professor Michael Awoke, expressed satisfaction with the agreement, describing it as inclusive and sensitive to the developmental needs of Ameka.

    “We have been praying for this type of development to happen,” he said. “The agreement is very accommodating and addresses many of the problems facing the Ameka community.”

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    Addressing concerns about possible mismanagement of benefits by stakeholders, Awoke assured that the agreement clearly outlined a sharing formula that must be strictly followed.

    “All stakeholders here have unanimously accepted the agreement, and we will ensure it is implemented rigorously, without default,” he added.

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has unsealed the mining site for the company to begin operations.

    The Commander, Mining Marshals, Southeast zone, SC Nkoro Emmanuel, unsealed the site shortly after the signing of the agreement.

    He explained that the site was sealed due to illegal mining going on by another company at the site.

    He noted that he unsealed the site because First Patriots has fulfilled all regulations and requirements, including the agreement signed with the community.

    “We successfully evacuated the illegal mining company that mined here illegally. So I hereby unseal the site for First Patriots, the rightful owner of the site”, he said.

    The signing of the agreement was greeted with optimism by residents, who see it as a major opportunity to translate Ameka’s rich mineral endowment into sustainable development, improved infrastructure, and better living conditions for the people.

  • Gunmen attack Ebonyi community, kill two villagers

    Gunmen attack Ebonyi community, kill two villagers

    Gunmen have killed two people in the Agba community, Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, triggering renewed fear and anxiety among locals.

    The town union president, Sunday Chukwu Nwadibia, confirmed the incident and identified the victims as Sunday Oyibe, a school proprietor and chairman of the local timber association, and Chukwu Ebuka.

    Nwadibia revealed that the community has been under constant siege by armed hoodlums over the past year, resulting in multiple fatalities and the loss of property and cash worth millions of naira.

    He added that before this latest attack, a POS operator in the area was robbed of N2.7 million. The assailants, he said, often carry out their operations at night, dressed in military camouflage and bulletproof vests, creating the false impression that they are security operatives.

    “In previous attacks, they snatched a Toyota Corolla car and five motorcycles from residents,” Nwadibia recounted.

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    “I was in my office when people started running, saying armed robbers were at our junction. Everyone began looking for safety. I locked my office when I saw what was happening. They advanced to another junction near my house, Orie Agba, and began shooting sporadically.”

    “They shot Sunday Oyibe, founder of Unique International School and chairman of the timber association.

    “We rushed him to the hospital, but he didn’t survive. They also shot Chukwu Ebuka, who witnesses said was struggling to protect his iPhone.”

    Nwadibia recalled a similar attack in January 2024 when gunmen riddled his home with bullets but spared the lives of his family members.

    He added that just two months ago, the gang robbed a POS operator of N2.7 million, and last month, they kidnapped a man from the community market.

    “These attackers always mask their faces and wear military uniforms with bulletproof vests. Since they started, our people no longer move freely at night. Businesses have crumbled. Once it’s dark, the entire community goes silent,” he lamented.

    Police spokesperson Joshua Ukandu confirmed the killing of the two men but said details of the incident would be obtained from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ishielu.

    “Yes, I am aware something happened in Ishielu, but I will contact the DPO for full details,” Ukandu said.

    Efforts to get a comment from the Chairman of Ishielu LGA, Esther Agwu, were unsuccessful as she declined to speak on the matter.

  • 10 killed as herdsmen attack Ebonyi community

    10 killed as herdsmen attack Ebonyi community

    Armed men suspected to be herdsmen yesterday morning attacked Amegu Nkalagha community in Ishielu Local Government, Ebonyi State, killing 10 residents and burning houses.

    The incident is believed to be a reprisal attack following the killing of some cows belonging to the herdsmen.

    A member of the community, Prof Ndubuisi Idenyi, confirmed the attack.

    He said: “I don’t have the number of casualties right now. We are still tracking and bringing out the dead bodies, especially those killed in the farms.”

    Another source said a cleric of a pentecostal church was among those killed in the attack.

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    But, the source, who pleaded anonymity, said the community members were not responsible for the killing of the cows.

    “We did not kill their cows. The cows were killed by members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the forest,”  the source who pleaded anonymity said.

    Chairperson of Isheilu Local Government, Ifeoma Peace Agwu, confirmed the incident.

    She said: “We are taking the victims’ bodies to the mortuary. I cannot talk much about it now. We will give more details later,” she said.

    Police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, however, said confirmed the incident.

  • JUST IN: Three killed as gunmen attack Ebonyi community

    JUST IN: Three killed as gunmen attack Ebonyi community

    Three people were killed in a night attack by gunmen on the Akpoha community in the Afikpo local government area of Ebonyi state.

    Some residents sustained varying degrees of injuries during the assault, which occurred on Saturday night.

    The victims included a member of the defunct Ebubeagu Security Network, now part of the Neighborhood Security Watch (NSW), a female trader, and a man who was near the state local vigilante member when he was killed.

    A local resident, Uche Donatus, reported that the slain NSW member had about ten bullets in his body.

     He also noted that bullets from the gunmen’s sporadic shooting struck the roof of his house, forcing him to flee.

    He said: “Our community was attacked on Saturday night. Three persons are lying dead as I speak to you.

    “One of the three corpses lying on the ground is a member of Ebubeagu Security Network. He has up to 10 bullets in his body.

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    “The gunmen came with two motorcycles. When they were leaving, one of the motorcycles refused to on and they continued shooting heavily until it started and they left.

    “These are the three persons that were killed after a heavy shooting at AkpohaIgbo by gunmen who came to execute this mayhem with two motorcycles.

    “Their names are; Emmanuel Nwacha Egwu Nicholas Nwacha and INYA Blessing Orieona. Killings in Akpoha have become a regular occurrence and nothing has been done to stop it. We are in trouble.”

    Uche, who is the youth president of the Akpoha community, said Emmanuel Nwacha is the leader of Neighbourhood Security Watch in the area and also the Chief Security Officer of the company handling the construction of a new bridge in the community by the federal government.

    He disclosed that many bullets were picked up by policemen in the community who evacuated the bodies of the deceased.

    An aide to Governor Francis Nwifuru from the area, Kenneth Orji Obasi confirmed the incident.

    Obasi, who is the coordinator of the Akpoha Development Centre, said the corpses of the victims have been deposited in the morgue.

    He noted that he received a call that gunmen were shooting heavily on Akpoha junction around 8 pm on Saturday and dispatched some members of the Neighborhood Security Watch to the scene.

    “On getting to the scene, I saw three persons lying dead on the ground. I have taken their corpses to the mortuary while the incident has been reported to the police” Obasi said.

    Police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said he was yet to receive any report on the incident.

  • Ebonyi community decries poor state of road

    The people of Onueke in Ezza South Local Government of Ebonyi State have decried the poor state of the Onueke/Ikwo Road,  describing it as a death trap.

    The road was last rehabilitated by ex-Governor Sam Egwu administration and had been in a poor condition.

    The people alleged that the Chief Martin Elechi government abandoned the road, except for minor rehabilitation by a former council boss, now a lawmaker representing Ezza South/Ikwo, Laz Ogbee.

    The indigenes condemned the deplorable state and passed a vote of no-confidence in the Ezza South council boss, Joseph Egede, and the Commissioner for Works, Fidelix Nweze, who both hail from the community.

    They regretted that since the inception of the state and local governments, nothing had been done to alleviate their suffering, especially as it concerned the poor state of the road.

  • Philanthropist helps Ebonyi community

    Philanthropist helps Ebonyi community

    A businessman and philanthropist, Chief Chibuike Orogwu has lifted the spirits of his kinsfolk in Amudo, Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. He provide them work tools, wheelchairs, rice, cash and paid the hospital bills of the needy. He was said to have spent millions of naira.

    He also spent over N2million on a tournament in which the oldest participant, Emmanuel Aduke, was given N300,000.

    •Pa Jacob’s old thatch house
    •Pa Jacob’s old thatch house

    That was not all. Orogwu is equally building a house for a needy man Jacob Ogbene who lives in a mud shelter.

    “The man has been living in a mud house which is dilapidated and may cave in at anytime. So I decided to build the bungalow to protect him from the elements,” Orogwu said.

    The house is nearing completion and will soon be dedicated and handed over to Pa Ogbene.

    On why he is dedicating his life to helping the less privileged, the philanthropist said he has the burning desire to help people because people also helped him to achieve success in his business.

    •Pa Jacob’s new house nearing completion
    •Pa Jacob’s new house nearing completion

    So I have to help the people to also be comfortable and to also uplift their living standard. If people didn’t support me, maybe I wouldn’t be here today to help others. So any little way I can help others I will do so.

    “I am not a politician, I don’t give for you to vote for me, I’m not aspiring for any post and I don’t give because I’m the richest but I suffered and each time I see people I’m better than I do my best to identify with them.”

    Orogwu’s road to fortune was rough. He was once unable to pay rent or fend for his family. He drove a commercial bus with his wife as conductor. In the mid 1990s he started a business making drinks, relying on funds his brother provided, in addition to  N19,000 he saved. His business thrived as his drinks were sold in most states of the country and several African countries as well.

    Some of the beneficiaries thanked the business mogul for his support.

     

  • Ebonyi community seeks end to land dispute

    Ebonyi community seeks end to land dispute

    The Ishinkwo Youth Assembly (IYA) in Ebonyi State has called for an end to a 100-year-old land dispute between it and Abaomege community.

    It wants the land amicably shared to put an end to what it described as “morbid communal conflict” and endless litigations.

    IYA’s president, Mr Innocent Elum, urged Ebonyi people to vote for Engr. Dave Umahi as governor because, according to him, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate promised to ensure the dispute is resolved.

    Besides, Elum said it was the turn of Ebonyi South Senatorial zone where Umahi hails from to produce the next governor.

    “We have what we call Charter of Equity or Charter of Conscience. Simply, it is an unwritten agreement by our founding fathers for power to rotate among the three zones. Ebonyi North and Central have taken their turns, with Dr. Sam Egwu and Governor Martin Elechi respectively. It is now the turn of the South. And since Dave Umahi is from the south, what else are we talking about?”

    Elum faulted Gov. Elechi’s alleged decision to back another candidate rather than Umahi, his deputy, despite their “succession agreement.”

    “Chief Umahi has been saying without contradiction by Chief Elechi that he struck a deal with Elechi in 2011, and worked for his re-election on the understanding and promise that Elechi would hand over to him at the end of his tenure.

    “Now, the governor has allegedly reneged on his promise. It is both a moral and legal issue to break a valid agreement,” Elum, a law graduate, said.

    He added that Ishinkwo is also supporting Umahi because he promised to liaise with the state’s representatives in the National Assembly to construct the F113 road which passes through Ishinkwo from Okposi/ Ukawu to Abaomege.

     

  • Ebonyi community demolishes school building

    Ebonyi community demolishes school building

    The Agbaja community in Izzi Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi State has demolished a school building under renovation by the state government in the community.

    Though no reason was given for the action, a source in the community said some people who felt the contractor handling the project was not following specification, took the action.

    During a visit to the school, the Permanent Member (Two) of the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs Rose Ezeadikwa, described the vandalism as unlawful, stressing that it was wrong for the perpetrators to take laws into their hands.

    Mrs Ezeadikwa, who is the chairman of the technical committee on project implementation of the board, said the rate of the destruction was an embarrassment and a sign of disrespect for government institutions and authorities.

    She, who later addressed a joint meeting of the school’s Parent- Teacher Association and the community, called on them to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to book.

    “Instead of taking the laws into your hands, you should have channeled your complaints to the relevant authorities if you felt that the contractor is not doing the work according to specifications,” she said.

    The Education Secretary, Izzi Local Government Area, Prince Anigor Joseph, charged the people to embrace the attitudinal change culture of government not to lose out in the dividends of democracy.

    The PTA Chairman, Paul Ikele said the destruction was the handiwork of some dubious politicians bent on creating crises and destroying the good relationship the community and government have hitherto enjoyed.

     

  • Anyim’s Ebonyi community boils over town union polls

    Anyim

    Ebonyi State community where Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim hails from is boiling over town union elections.

    A faction has accused the former Senate President of taking sides in the crisis.
    He has also been accused of influencing the security blanket on Ishiagu in Ivo Local Government Area of the state.
    Some community leaders are urging the authorities to withdraw the over 100 armed soldiers, policemen and plain-clothed security men said to have been deployed in the town.

    Two people- Chief Anyim Stanley and Chief David Aja are laying claims to the leadership of the Ishiagu Community Development Union (ICDU).
    Aja fled to Enugu from where he is calling for the removal of security men from the community. He is also blaming the SGF from the crisis.

    The fleeing leaders said they were running for dear lives because security men remained in the town after the former senator departed the community yesterday.

    But an ally of Senator Anyim, Mr. Godfrey Ajah, dismissed allegations against the SGF, saying he had no hand in the crisis.
    He said: “Anyim was here for the elections and has always returned home anytime there was ICDU election. It is not the first time and I must tell you that he is a peaceful man and would always want the best for his people in Ishiagu.
    “He is just as another Ishiagu man in the election of the town union executives. He never instigated any crisis.”
    The fleeing leaders insisted that the former senate president wants to hijack the leadership of the town union without following the constitution.

    Chief Aja who spoke on their behalf said: “I discovered there were about ten trucks of soldiers and riot policemen in the community for the election he claims to be conducting; I saw them running towards my house and I ran for refuge in Enugu.

    Aja, who claimed to have been accompanied by chairmen of 12 out of the 18 villages that make up Ishiagu, noted that the town union election which should constitutionally hold a month before the expiration of the tenure of the outgoing executive was conducted in August by the acting President of ICDU, Chief Linus Ukachukwu.

    He expressed regrets that Ebonyi State acting Governor Dave Umahi, allegedly jettisoned the recommendations of an investigation committee set up by government and fixed another election for Monday during which soldiers were mobilised to terrorise the people.

    But Godfrey Ajah said a peaceful election was conducted and new ICDU executive elected.
    He dismissed claims that an election was held in August and insisted that he was the only person legally qualified to conduct the elections.

    He said: “Our distinguished son, Anyim, is not causing any problem in Ishiagu; he was there when the elections were conducted and he has always returned home for the ICDU election. The government in its own wisdom, decided that the best for the community was an election and that’s what we did yesterday. However, a committee set up by government to supervise the election could not come after they were attacked by gunmen, yet they told us to go ahead with the election.”

    A community leader, Mr. Boniface Aja, told reporters yesterday that the community is thrown into fear, panic and uncertainty whenever the town union poll is to hold. He said in 2001 and 2006, many lives were lost and properties worth millions of naira destroyed following a disagreement on the authentic leadership of the town union.

    Mr. Aja said the community was also thrown into panic and apprehension when on Sunday, a team of soldiers, riot policemen and plain-clothed security men, numbering over 100 besieged the community in respect of the ICDU election.
    He said: “It is painful and sad that a common town union election would witness a deployment of more than 100 security men. We are a peaceful people but top politicians from the community have turned the place into a war zone, who deployed security and under whose instruction are they working?”

    Another community leader, Mr. Njoku Igwe, urged the immediate withdrawal of the soldiers and riot policemen to avert any confrontation with the community youths.

    “The election has been conducted and winners emerged, though unfortunately two factional executives emerged but we believe it is high time the soldiers and policemen were withdrawn from the community to avert any unnecessary confrontation with the youths”.
    “We are living in perpetual fear and apprehension because of the presence of the security men, though they were deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the election but since the election is over, they should be withdrawn because still allowing them stay in the community may become counter productive”.

    A youth leader in the community, Mr. Anayo Okoronkwo, described the military presence in the community as uncalled for adding that the presence of the military prevented the people from coming out to vote for the candidate of their choice.
    He said there was no election in the community on Monday and urged the government to disregard any video clip or photographs presented to it by Senator Anyim as evidence of the election.

    But factional Chairman of the town union Chief Stanley described the continued crisis in the community as worrisome, adding that his administration would work assiduously to ensure that peace returned.

    He promised judicious use of the royalties accrued to the Community, pointing out that his administration would embark on projects that will be beneficial to the community.

    The community is endowed with enormous solid mineral resources, especially limestone mined by CrushRock Company of Nigeria and Setraco Nigeria Limited.