Ivo LGA mayhem: Umahi, others condemn destruction of lives, property in Ebonyi community

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]

Ebonyi Governor, David Umahi has condemned in strong terms the mayhem caused by irate youth in the Ivo local government area of the state.

The unrest, it was gathered, led to the death of four persons and burning of no fewer than 12 houses in the area, including the a petrol station and residential building belonging to the Council chairman, Onyebuchi Ogbadu.

Umahi who visited the community on Monday directed that anyone involved in the crisis must be brought to justice.

Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Francis Nwaze, who spoke in a telephone chat with our Correspondent, said: “The governor just visited Akaeze now for an on-the-spot assessment of the unrest.

He condemned in totality the ugly development and had ordered for a thorough investigation so that the culprits would be made to face the law.

Governor Umahi frowned at the needless burning of the Akaeze Police Station and property of the Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area as well as a Development Centre Coordinator by the irate youths.

He directed the prompt arrest of those involved in the dastardly act captured in the video which has been circulating on the social media where  axe-wielding persons were seen using the weapon on a human being to underscore the sanctity of human lives.

“I feel so sad over the couple of incidences that happened in this place. In the first place, I condemn the viral video that was making round where somebody was using an axe on a fellow human being, my position is that life is sacred and all those people that did that, whether they are in Government, whether they are Ebubeagu, whether they are stakeholders must be prosecuted immediately.

“There is no reason in this matter that should warrant anybody to take law into their hands, at the end of time we are going to be accountable to God.

“It is important to note that Ebubeagu is a security outfit backed by law and it will not be disbanded but any Ebubeagu member that violates the law will go in for it.

“The law on Ebubeagu is very clear, just like there are bad elements in other security forces and within the society, there may be bad eggs in Ebubeagu but my position is that the bad eggs in Ebubeagu must be identified and removed. Ebubeagu is doing very beautiful work, they are helping the police, they are helping the Army, but we have a procedure, when you have the right within the limit of the law to arrest people, you have to hand them over to the Police immediately and it stops there, you are not even permitted to torture them not to talk of killing them but you have the right of self-defense and the evidence must be there and overwhelmingly and so what happened here did not make me happy.

“Two wrongs must never make a right, the seven people that masterminded this must be arrested and prosecuted, I am not the Governor of one Party, I am the Governor of all parties, and most importantly I am accountable to God.”

While directing the demobilization of all gun-carrying non-security persons in the area, Governor Umahi also called for a step-up in security presence and surveillance to avert reoccurrence.

He called on Ebonyi Youths to shun involvement in criminalities and embrace peace for orderliness in the society.

“Let me warn all the youth to be very careful about taking laws into their hands, if they commit a murder case and it is before me, I will sign their execution.”

Also in a telephone chat, the traditional ruler of Umuihe community, HRH Eze Umazi Ubani, condemned the killings and razing of the houses and other valuable properties in the community by the irate youth.

He disclosed that the rampaging youths even attempted to set ablaze his palace, save for the intervention by security agents.

“I went for surgical operation; I returned on Wednesday, and heard that somebody used machete to chase somebody returning from his farm on motorcycle, and butchered him to level of being unconscious.

“A passerby going to the farm, who saw the incident, returned and reported what happened. The people reported to Ebubeagu that the boy had returned, the boy in question is a bad boy, one, he is a thief, he use to steal people’s things and if he’s stealing your thing and you come, he would chase you, he has used machete to cut people the previous year.

“Ebubeagu went to apprehend him, and they said he pointed at one of them and said he’s the next person to be killed, they now started beating him, and used axe to cut him. I must say that they beat him the way they were not supposed to, because using weapon to cut somebody on investigation is not proper, cutting his penis is not proper, the worst is after everything, they went and put it on the internet, and when it was posted on the net, some politicians rode on it and started this problem.

“When I heard it, I carried myself with the bandage on me, to see the deceased family with a cartoon of beer as our tradition demands that I should go with wine, I went to beg them that we should settle it amicably.

“The problem as I told you, had it been that Ebubeagu personnel did not post that thing on the internet, the opposition political party couldn’t have used the opportunity to cause this trouble. I am seeing it as one of the mistakes, and they were supposed to take that boy to the police station, the people that sponsored this thing did not do well, because this is politically motivated” the traditional ruler stated.

Speaking to newsmen on telephone conversation, the Ivo council chairman, Mr Ogbadu denied shooting anybody or having a hand in the death of any of the protesting youths as was being alleged in some sections of the media.

It was gathered on social media reports that the Council Chairman and his supporters had attacked the protesting youths which led to the death of one of them, a situation that turned violent.

According to Ogbadu, the reports were lies as he was not at home when the youths invaded his house burning everything on sight.

He noted that the protesters were sponsored to carry out the carnage in the community by opposition politicians and some criminal elements who had earlier been sacked from the community.

He noted that the protesters had already set houses of some Ebubeagu operatives in the community. He said he was at the House of the Traditional Ruler of the area when he got information that the youths were already destroying his house.

He said when he rushed to house the youths on sighting him on the road leading to his house, attacked him in his car and damaged parts of the Sienna car he was driving in.

The Chairman said his driver had to hastily reverse and drive him out of the area.

According to him, the youth proceeded to burn down his house and other houses in his compound and all the properties therein including about 4 cars.

Among the cars allegedly burnt was the chairman’s official Toyota SUV car; a bus belonging to the local government was not burnt but was vandalized.

The protesters also burnt include a commercial bus close parked close to the filling station.

He wondered why the protesters would take the laws into their hands when the Ebubeagu operatives who were accused of carrying out the torture of the late Anyim were immediately arrested and handed over to the Police and are still in custody.

Ogbadu who described the activities of the rampaging youths as criminal and sacrilegious alleged that they were being sponsored by some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP elements and Anti-Umahi personalities in and outside of the country.

The Council boss revealed that about seven houses including his own were destroyed by the youth.

He alleged that the youths were composed of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB members who were from their neighbouring community and criminals terrorising the affected community and the Police.

Ogbadu said: “The criminals are being sponsored by PDP politicians and anti-Umahi personalities based overseas. They were the once that caused the fracase that took place on Sunday.

“When I was called I rushed to the palace of HRH Eze Omazi Ibo of Umuihie Autonomous Community. On getting there, I was told that the youths were moving to my residence. I rushed out and on getting close to the road leading to my residence, I discovered that the rampaging youths were already destroying my house.

“I had to reverse and as I was doing that, they smashed my windscreen, side glasses and other parts of the Sienna bus I was driving. As it stands now, I don’t have anything on me, apart from these clothes I am putting on. Everything has been destroyed. All the cars in my compound including my official car were burnt by the youths.

“The Ebubeagu Security operatives who were involved in the alleged murder case involving the death of one Nnaogo Akpoke Anyim on 18th January, 2022, are still in detention.

“And so, this has shown that the masterminds of the atrocities that happened carried out their actions based on an already orchestrated arrangement. The Police is already investigating the matter and some suspects have been arrested. What then?”