Two feared dead in renewed Ebonyi communal land dispute

A fresh outbreak of violence between the people of Umuobor-Akaeze and their Ogwor neighbors in the Ishiagu community, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has resulted in the death of two individuals.  

According to community sources, a man and a woman were ambushed and killed on Monday in the disputed land, which has been a longstanding point of contention between the two communities.

Reports indicate that the conflict over the fertile land known as Elueke has lasted for nearly five decades, leading to the loss of many lives and the destruction of properties worth billions of naira.

The situation forced Governor Francis Nwifuru to declare the disputed land a buffer zone and set up a committee to solve the crisis.

Commenting on the crisis, a social media critic, Mr. Nwoba Chika Nwoba, told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that he had written to the governor to urgently end the conflict.

According to him, “I got information that these aged persons were killed in the fight between Ishiagu and Akaeze today in Ivo LGA of Ebonyi State.

“I had written twice earlier that the governor, Francis Nwifuru, should do something urgently to bring this to a halt, but I’m not sure he has done anything obvious to end the feud.

“I’m still calling on the governor to do something to end this lest it becomes too difficult to handle.

“Every life matters, stakeholders of these two towns should join hands and get this unnecessary bloodshed quenched.”

When our correspondent contacted the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Joshua Ukandu, on Tuesday, he said he had yet to receive a report of the recent killings in the area.