Just In Armed hoodlums set Police Station on fire as communal crisis escalates
The Police station in crisis-torn Effium community in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State has been razed by hoodlums.
The station was razed at the weekend following an attack on security agencies stationed in the community as peace keeping force.
The Effium and Ezza Effium people in the community have been engaged in about three-year long war in which thousands have been rendered homeless.
Hundreds of lives have been lost in the crisis while many houses and properties worth millions have been destroyed.
The State Government has continuously stationed a joint team of security agencies in the community to keep the peace and help to end the conflict.
But the conflict have continued unabated with intermittent fighting breaking out ong the two groups.
At the weekend, the crisis re-ignited leading to the razing down of the Police station in the area.
Ebonyi police spokesman, Onome Onovwakpoyeya confirmed this in a statement on Sunday.
She denied reports that the policemen deployed to the area ran out of ammunition to counter the attacks.
Onovwakpoyeya noted that the Ezxa warriors attacked the Effium communities but were repelled by the security agencies.
She said: “To set the record straight, there has been ongoing Communal crisis between Ezza and Izzi Communities for years.
“Consequently, the Army, Mobile Policemen, both visiting and State based and Conventional Policemen have been permanently stationed in the Crisis zone”
“However, for the past three consecutive days,the Ezza Warriors have launched an attack on Effium Community and the security forces stationed in the zone.
“The forces had repelled them, but in the ensuing gun duel, the Colonial building used as Police Station was razed down but no casualty on the part of the Police or loss of Arms/ammunition”, she said.
The spokesperson said reinforcement has since been sent to the area including arms/ammunition and a gun truck.
“Meanwhile, the area is calm. The Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi state Command, CP Faleye S. Olaleye is using this medium to warn the Aggressors to lay down their arms or face the full wrath of the law”, she added.
