One person has been confirmed killed and four others injured in Ekoli Edda, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in an attack by suspected political thugs.
Houses and other valuable properties were also destroyed in the attack.
Two rival political groups have been battling for supremacy in the community.
In the latest crisis, eyewitnesses said the thugs, numbering over 10 carried out the latest attack.
One of the eyewitnesses, Chima Obasi disclosed that the thugs shot at the former Chairman of the local government and former state House of Assembly member, Eni Chima, while he was returning from an inspection of a torched house said to belong to Ama Ibiam, a Port- Harcourt based businessman.
He said the attack occurred around 10:00am on June 1 and that the body of the victim, Okoro Obasi of Ndibom Village has been conveyed to the mortuary.
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The eyewitnesses further alleged that the children of the deceased and their friends were equally attacked and matchete cuts inflicted on them.
Another eyewitness, Nnachi Ndem said that “we were at Mgborokuma when Catcham boys came there and started shooting at us.Three persons nearly lost their lives.
“They have been attacking us since our members returned from prison following the amnesty granted them by our dear Governor, Francis Nwifuru.
“Our people are not happy and we are waiting to see how the government will handle this sad incident,” he said.
He cautioned that the community may rise up in self- defense if nothing definite is done immediately to arrest the situation.
Confirming the incident, Eni Uduma Chima, said “yes, I was called from Ekoli- Edda this morning (yesterday) and informed about the death of my uncle, Mr. Okoro Obasi of Ndibom Village, Ekoli- Edda.
“The deceased was attacked by thugs known in the village as Catcham boys. The deceased sustained internal bleeding and died this morning in his house.
“The offence he committed against his killers is that his son was involved in the amnesty programme and the man is related to me.”
Chima said upon receiving the report, he quickly left Abakaliki for his Ekoli-Edda community to de-escalate the tension already brewing in the area.
“After depositing the body, I inspected damages done on people’s property and calmed them down. I went to inspect a house set ablaze by the thugs and while coming out from the scene, they shot at my vehicle and shattered the windows of my Toyota Prado jeep and injured three persons in the process,” he recounted.
While calling for the swift arrest of those involved in the attack, he said the people troubling the community are less than 20 persons.
The Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu confirmed the incident.
He noted that he has not received details of the attack, but that the command has deployed its men to calm the situation.
