Tag: Ebonyi

Gunmen on Tuesday, June 4, attacked the Ohaukwu Police Division at Ezzamgbo in the Ohaukwu local government area of the state, burning vehicles.

However, no casualties were recorded as policemen on duty stood firm and repealed the gunmen. 

A source said that the gunmen, numbering eight, came in a bus and started shooting sporadically, causing panic in the neighbourhood.

The attack also disrupted the distribution of palliatives by the Chairman of Ohaukwu LGA, Ikechukwu Odono at the Council Headquarters adjacent the police station.

Read Also: JUST IN: Gunmen kill councillor, youth leader in Ebonyi community

“Everyone, including the chairman of the Council, ran for their lives to avoid injuries from the gunshots,” the source said.

Odono comfirmed the attack to Our Reporter.

He said no life was lost but the attackers burnt some vehicles in the police state.

He further stated that the attack disrupted the distribution of the palliatives in the council headquarters as people ran for safety. 

Police spokesperson, Ukandu Joshua did not take calls or respond to messages when our reporter tried to get his reaction.

Suspected gunmen have killed one Stanley Akpa Nweze and Arinze Joshua Ugochukwu at Isu village in Onicha local government area of Ebonyi state.

Nweze was until his death the councilor representing Enuagu ward in Onicha legislative council while Arinze Joshua Ugochukwu was the coordinator, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Onicha LGA chapter. 

The duo of Stanley and Arinze were reportedly attacked and killed on Monday by gunmem at Amanator axis of Isu community.

Sources in reg area said the duo were on bike riding to Isu village when the hoodlums accosted them and shot them on the spot severally and ensured they were confirmed dead before leaving the scene.

 The gunmen were said to have also shot into the air sporadically to scare away passers-by before zooming off into the nearby forest when they were sure that their victims were dead. 

Isu community has witnessed series of attacks and killings in recent times. 

Read Also: Gunmen kidnap four passengers in Benue bus attack

The community has a large expanse of land sharing boundary Enugu state and Agba community in Ishielu local government area. 

Chairman of Onicha local government council, Chidiebere Uzor Agwu, while confirming the incident, expressed shock at the sudden killing of the two sons of the community.  

In a statement signed by Prince Chijioke Agwu, Media Adviser to the Chairman, Agwu described the incident as a “shattering tragedy. 

He called on security agencies to do everything within their powers to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

Also condemning the brutal killing, the Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Ebonyi state chapter, Douglas Ochishi, said the they would not fold their arms to watch the killers to go scott free and would stop at nothing in seeking for justice  over this killing. 

He called on the security agencies and other relevant authorities to swing into action and arrest their killers. 

The councillorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in different parts of Ebonyi State ahead of the state’s local government and councillorship elections on July 20 have turned bloody, leaving some members of the party injured by suspected thugs.

The state Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, had said that the exercise would be peaceful.

Emegha told newsmen after the distribution of voting materials that adequate arrangements had been made, including provision of security, to ensure a peaceful exercise.

“Our primaries will be free and fair; no danger. I am not envisaging any danger at all. There will be no crisis because we are all one,” he had stated.

But the primaries turned out bloody in some parts of the state as party supporters were battered by political thugs.

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In Ekka community, Ezza North Local Government Area, for instance, some persons are seen in a viral video with varying degrees of injuries on different parts of their bodies.

One of them, Nwuna Chikodiri, said they were asked to choose who would be their councillor in Ekka Ward and that they were doing the primaries when thugs loyal to two prominent persons in the community descended on them.

Chikodiri said: “We were asked to choose our councillor and we decided to do that. We were on it when thugs descended on us.

“The thugs inflicted on many of us various injuries like mine.

“It was Chikwado that hit me like this on the face.

“They used bottle and inflicted injuries on Emeka Aboy.

“So many people have been injured as I speak.”

Activities were grounded in Ebonyi on Thursday as residents complied with the sit-at-home order of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Banks, schools, offices, businesses including eateries, shopping malls and markets, were all under lock when The Nation monitored compliance.

There were few cars on the road belonging to private individuals as parks were also shutdown.

Read Also: Streets, shops empty as Imo observes IPOB’s sit-at-home

However, a few commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists were operating around the city centre.

They may have been emboldened by the heavy presence of machine gun-welding security men moving around in a convoy.

Ebonyi government on Wednesday said it spent N17.3 billion on remedial work at the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport runway in Abakaliki.

Gov. Francis Nwifuru said this in Abakaliki on the occasion of his one anniversary in Abakaliki.

Nwifuru said on assumption of office his administration cleared the backlog arrears of five months salaries owed airport workers.

“The remedial work at the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport runway has been completed.

“N17.3 billion was spent, while major repairs in the terminal building and control tower have commenced in earnest and in advanced stage.

“To this end, flight operations will commence fully at the airport,” the governor said.

Nwifuru said his administration had taken deliberate steps to improve the security architecture of the state within his one year in office.

He said that security was very central to any development effort and successful implementation of his administration’s programmes and policies.

Read Also: JUST IN: Three killed as gunmen attack Ebonyi community

The governor said his administration had also completed some roads in this first year in the office.

“This is further to our determination to grow our rural economies by ensuring agro-allied produces are transported to the urban centres,” he said.

Nwifuru listed some of the rural roads started and completed to include, Umuoghara Power Station road, Legacy FM road on concrete pavement and Obvuduechi market-lziogo road.

According to the governor, his administration was focused on creating enabling environment for a public-private sector partnership, which he said was critical to the economic growth of the state.  (NAN)

No fewer than ten persons were killed in a dawn attack on an Ezza Effium community of Ohaukwu local government area in Ebonyi state.

The attack on the Umuezeoka Community which happened on May 1, 2024, also led to the destruction of properties by the gunmen whose identities have not been ascertained.

A health centre in the community was among several buildings burnt and destroyed by the attackers.

Ezza Effium and Uffiom people both in Effium town have been having an intra-communal crisis for about four years which claimed hundreds of lives with thousands displaced.

The attack is believed to be a continuation of the lingering crisis which has proven to be intractable so far.

Though the identities of the attackers are unknown but sources from Ezza Effium claimed the attackers were Uffiom warriors.

Their claims could not be independently verified.

Gory pictures of those killed circulated on social media on Thursday.

A source from the area noted that most of those killed were children, the aged, and women including a pregnant woman.

Another source from the area regretted that the attack came when the state government had initiated moves to bring lasting peace among the warring parties.

 “While Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru is doing everything to bring peace to the Effium community, the aggressors from Uffiom have been busy thwarting every peace effort of the government.

“Just yesterday, they attacked Inikiri Umuezeoka where they massacred children, old men, and women and burnt down every structure within their reach including Amurt.

“This is unbecoming and the Ebonyi State government should arrest their leaders. The government can’t be making peace efforts and these monsters will be somewhere discrediting the good efforts of the government. It’s now obvious that Uffiom never wanted peace,” the source said.

Police spokesperson, Joshua Ụkandu said he was not aware of the incident.

He promised to revert after getting in contact with the DPO of the area but was yet to do so at press time hours after he was first contacted.

Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, who didn’t want to comment on the security situation in Effium, enumerated the present administration’s efforts towards ensuring that peace returns to the troubled area.

Read Also: Kidnappers lay siege to commuters on Ebonyi-Enugu highway

He said: “The implementation Committee has been inaugurated. The Peace Committee has been inaugurated and they have started work in earnest.

“All the Line Ministries are working with the Committees to ensure that peace returns there in Effium. In a few days, the Gazzetta copy of the White paper will be out. Before ending of next week, it’s going to be out.

“The Chairman of the Implementation Committee is the honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. The Peace Committee is headed by the former Minister of Culture and Tourism, Amb. Franklin Ogbuewu.

“And both the Chairman of the Implementation Committee and the Line Ministries are all members of the Peace Committee. They go to that place every now and then. And I am aware that very soon, they will reach out to the Communities affected and communicate the position of government to them.”

Among the distinguished members of the Committee are Dr. Ben Uruchi Odo, Hon. Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice; Barr. Albert Alo, Solicitor General; Engr. Stanley Lebechi Mbam, Commissioner for Works; Dr. Matthew Nwobasi, Commissioner for Lands and Survey; Engr. Francis Ori, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development; Mr. John Igbede, Surveyor General; Dr. Scamb Nwokolo, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ebonyi State Chapter; Rev. Fr. Samuel Okorie; and Rev. Fr. Cornelius Chukwu.

The Ebonyi State Police Command has rescued six children from kidnappers and arrested leader of the syndicate.

A statement by the police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said on January 21, one Nkwuda Francis reported to the command that a woman, identified as Mercy Francis, and parading herself as a youth corps member, kidnapped two children from his house in Nwezenyi Igbeagu, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, where she rented a room.

According to him, the children, aged three and seven, were taken by one Ngozi Blessing Abia, which was revealed to be the suspect’s true identity.

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“Following investigation by officers attached to the Gender Unit, the suspect was located at Oba, Anambra State, where the children were rescued and returned to their family,” Ukandu said.

He also added that one Mrs. Lovina Iwuorah and Mrs. Ndifereke Wisdom Clement, whose children were abducted in Ohaozara council, identified the suspect as the conspirator in the disappearance of their three children, aged between one and three-year-old.

“The investigation led officers to Benin City, where the children were found in an orphanage. The proprietor of the orphanage has been detained and is providing valuable information to the Police.

“The boy was later recovered and reunited with his family after being sold by the suspect,” he added.

According to Ukandu, the suspect’s modus operandi was to rent an apartment, fraternise with the neighbours to gain their trust and thereafter abduct their children for pecuniary gains.