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No fewer than ten persons have been confirmed dead following yesterday’s attack on an Ezza Effium community of Ohaukwu local government area in Ebonyi state.
The gunmen, whose identities have not been ascertained, attacked and destroyed properties in the Umuezeoka Community yesterday.
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.
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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.
