Aku and
Ikolo communities in Igboetiti local government council in Enugu State are now
under heavy police occupation following a clash
that erupted
on Thursday between the two communities that left several injuries and property
worth millions of naira destroyed.
The Guardian
gathered that the incident, which could have resulted into a full-scale war and
killings but for police intervention, left
at least 20
persons severely injured with houses and poultry farm razed.
It was
gathered that the two neighboring communities had been at loggerheads for some
time now over boundary, a development that had defied intervention of leaders
of the areas.
Trouble was
said to have started Thursday afternoon, when youths from Ikolo allegedly
blocked the major road leading to Aku and resorted to extorting passers-by and
other road users, including motorcyclists.
Another
source said, however, that it was as a result of disagreement that erupted
among youths over an encroachment in the contentious area by natives of Aku.
A source
stated that the situation went out of control when the few youths resorted to a
free for all that attracted other members from both communities, adding that
several dangerous objects were deployed in the attack.
A poultry
farm belonging to a former local council chairman worth several millions of
naira and other property were destroyed, while
several
persons from both communities sustained serious injuries and are being treated
in various hospitals.
President
General of Aku General Assembly, Fidelis Ezeoyili told The Guardian, that at
least, six members of his community were currently hospitalised, adding that
their injuries arose from machete cuts, gunshots and use of other dangerous
weapons.He said the community has a history of boundary dispute with Ikolo and
that efforts to resolve the problem had not yielded dividends.
“In
September last year, we wrote the state governor and copied relevant agencies
on the need to put permanent solution on the problem
by
demarcating the contentious portion so that we can have peace; but as I speak
to you, nothing has been heard from government. We decided to put up that
letter because of frequent attacks on our people around the boundary areas.
They will mould blocks and they are destroyed, they will farm and somebody will
cut down their crops among several others.
“Now, look
at the level of destruction that our people have incurred. We restricted our
youths from engaging in reprisal attack; otherwise the destruction will be
massive. But we cannot continue this way and that is why I am appealing to the
state government to please do something about this boundary issue. Many houses
have been burnt and injuries sustained; nobody is sure what will happen next,”
he said
James Akadu,
an Architect, who hails from Ikolo, described the destruction as “massive”,
stressing that the leaders of the town and
security
operatives have taken inventory of destruction. He stated that something should
be done to avert further hostilities.
Meanwhile,
the Police have said it deployed its men to the warring communities to avert
further clashes, stressing that its intervention
prevented
“full blown war and killings”.
A statement
by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ebere Amaraizu, which
confirmed destruction of property and injuries on both communities, urged the
warring communities to maintain peace and not to take laws into their hands.
Amaraizu
said that normalcy had been restored to the area as security had been already
beefed up in the communities, adding however that, “leaders of the communities,
including the youth leaders, are being engaged for a lasting peace and
resolution of the misunderstanding between the two communities.
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