Ebonyi to sanction political office holders over abduction of 5 villagers at disputed boundary News
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Ebonyi State Government has condemned the abduction of five villagers over the boundary crisis between the people of the Oso Edda community in the Eda local government area and their neighbours, the Amasiri community in the Afikpo local government area of the state.
The State Deputy Governor Princess Patricia Onyemaechi Obila, who disclosed this at the weekend at a peace meeting at the Afikpo local government secretariat, warned that the government would sanction any political office holders in the area if those abducted last week were not immediately released.
The chairman of Afikpo LGA, Nwachi Timothy and his Edda counterpart, Hon Chima Ekumankama, attended the peace meeting with their traditional rulers and stakeholders. The Deputy Governor stated that the government would not encourage lawlessness in any community.
She wondered why the issue of land should create disagreements with brothers to the extent of killing their kith and kin.
She assured the state government’s commitment to restoring peace in such communities.
The chairman of Afikpo local government, Nwachi Timothy, in a remark, condemned the action of the Oso community in abducting five persons made up of three from Amasiri and two from Cross River State and warned against the excesses of the youth in the community and asked for their unconditional release.
He enjoined the community not to thwart the government’s efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis between them and their Amasiri brothers.
In his response, the chairman of Edda, Hon Chima Ekumankama, condemned the attack from the Idima community in Oso and pledged to investigate the matter.
The two development council coordinators from the affected communities, Hon Baron Ogbonnia and Mrs. Nkama Nkama Ude restated their commitment to restoring normalcy in the area.
