Suspected warlords behead 2 in Ebonyi
TWO persons, 79-year-old Paul Idu and 47-year-old Elizabeth Amos Agbudu, natives of Igede village, Akparata, Effium, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have again reportedly been beheaded.
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Also, the whereabouts of 10-year-old Master Ekene Ukwo are still unknown at press time while three houses were also razed down.
This happened early yesterday morning in an attack by a suspected Ezza warlords.
This is coming 24 hours after two persons were beheaded in the same village, and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
Worried by incessant attacks, the natives of Effium autonomous community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area have called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State to note “the continuous killings, burning of houses and kidnapping of innocent people by suspected Ezza warlords.”
President General of Effiium Autonomous community, Dr. James Agena, alleged that the warlords invaded the community by 12:20 am on Monday, killed two people, kidnapped one, burnt three houses, and left many injured.
He lamented that the latest attack was the third in the series of coordinated attacks on Effium natives by suspected Ezza warriors within a short period of one week.
“Your Excellency sir, once again Ezza warriors this morning, at about 12:20 am attacked Igede village in Akparata area of Effium, killed and beheaded 70-year old man Mr. Paul Idu, and 47-year old woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Amos Agbudu; and the whereabouts of 10-year old Master Ekene Ukwo is still unknown, coupled with the burning down of three houses by these evil men.
“Once again, we call on the government of Ebonyi State, the security agencies, and indeed the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to protect the peace-loving Effium natives.”
Also on Sunday, Secretary General of Okija Progressive Union, Peter Awa, and one other person, Izuchukwu Igwenagha, popularly known as Onwa, were on Sunday murdered in the town by gunmen.
While Awa, who is also the Chancellor of the Knights of St Mulumba, Okija Sub Council, was killed in a market square in his Umudioka village, Izuchukwu Igwenagha was murdered over an alleged land dispute in his Isieke village.
Also the same day, a businessman at Nkwo Okija was kidnapped as he was driving home from a function.
Awa was appointed secretary of Okija last year following a town union election conducted by the Anambra State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Town Union Matters.
Until the incident, he was practising Law in Ihiala. Only recently, there was an attempt to kidnap his wife, also a lawyer at Ihiala, but the attempt failed.
It was gathered that he attended a village meeting a few hours before his gruesome murder.
The Anambra State Police command said it has begun investigation into the murder. .The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Tochukwu Ikenga said preliminary information revealed that the assailants of Awa , operating in motor bikes, shot the deceased as he was about to alight his vehicle to safety when he was approached by the murderers.
According to the PPRO, some eyewitnesses have provided details that were already aiding the investigation.
One killed as fire guts Anambra seminary
In a related development, one person has been reported dead, and several property burnt in a fire that broke out at the Bishop Crowther Memorial Seminary School, Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Although the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, it was gathered that the incident occurred around 11.30 pm on Saturday.
Confirming the incident in a statement from the Media Unit of Anambra State Fire Service, the state’s Fire Service Chief, Chukwudi Chiketa, said the remains of the student who died in the incident, had been taken to a mortuary.
He explained that firefighters and a fire truck were immediately deployed to the scene of the incident upon getting an alert from the school, adding that the fire had been contained.
