Over 15 persons have been killed in a fresh communal crisis that erupted on Saturday between the people of Ngbo and Ezza in Nkwuada community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Sources said that majority of those killed were indigenes of Nkwuaba.
A native of Nkwuada, identified simply as Elizabeth confirmed that the cause of the clash was the killing of a native of Nkwuada allegedly by Ezza “settlers” over allegations that the deceased killed a cow owned by an Ezza indigene.
According to her, “the cow of Ezza man was said to be missing and they traced the missing cow to the farm of one Ngbo man. The Ezza didn’t wait to hear from the man (deceased) before they organized themselves and invited their warriors who went to his house and killed him in the night.
“So on investigation by the Nkwuada people, it was revealed that the deceased was killed by the Ezzas over an alleged missing cow belonging to an Ezzaman.
“The next day having known who killed the deceased, the Ezzas quickly sent out some elders among them who came and calmed elders of Nkwuada and promised to bring out the perpetrators to face the law.
“But that did not happen, the people of Ngbo the next day mobilised and attacked the people of Ezza in their settlement and the Ezza the next day (Saturday) mobilised their warriors and attacked the people of Nkwuada and killed not less than 15 persons.”
However, another resident identified only as Chigozie said that the issue of missing cow was not the key cause of the crisis, linking it to bottled up anger among the people of Ezza who were on survival mission from Effium communal clash but were not allowed to settle in Nkwuaba.
Nkwuada community shares boundaries with Effium and the people of Izzi in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the State.
When contacted, the Ohaukwu Council chairman of the area, Barrister Clement Odah, confirmed the incident, saying that “the incident happened on Saturday and another one happened yesterday being Monday. I have told you efforts we are making.
“Give us time to gather the facts or you go to the Police. I spoke to you as the Chief Security Officer of the Local Government Area.”
Efforts to speak to the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chris Anyanwu, on the incident failed as he was not responding to calls.
First published in Daily Trust