Two Killed, Police Officer Injured in Ebonyi Communal Crisis

Police in Ebonyi State, South-east Nigeria, said on Tuesday that two persons were killed and a police officer injured in a communal crisis in the state. The crisis is between the Abaomege and Oshinkwo communities in the Onicha Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Onome Ono, in a statement in Abakaliki, said the deceased were killed while returning home after the close of work on Tuesday. “There were shots at the Abaomege- Oshinkwo communal crisis area by Oshinkwo warriors. “The victims were rushed to the hospital. Two of the victims were confirmed dead, but the policeman is responding to treatment,” She explained. Ms Ono, a superintendent of police, said the police had launched a search for the fleeing suspects.

A relative of one victim, who refused to disclose his name, decried the lingering crisis in the area and called for the intervention of the security agents. “The police and security personnel should step up operations in the area. The crisis has done more harm than good to my people and my family in particular.” Ebonyi has one of the worst histories of violent communal clashes in Nigeria. The crises are often linked to disputes over land ownership.

In January last year, four people were reportedly killed during a clash between Ukawu and Isinkwo, Onicha Local Government Area of the state. A protracted communal crisis in the Ezza and Effium communities in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has led to the loss of several lives. PREMIUM TIMES, in June last year, reported that the bloodshed in Ohaukwu was politically motivated and that residents were taxed to kill their neighbours and another report on how one community was sacked because of conflict.

Source: Premium Times