The Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru has ordered the removal of traditional rulers in the Amasiri clan of Afikpo Local Government Area and directed the withdrawal of their staff of office.
He also sacked the Commissioner for Tertiary Education from the area, Prof. Amari Omaka, and dissolved the entire political and traditional leadership structure of the community.
The actions followed a violent attack on Okporojo in Oso Edda community, Edda Local Government Area, during which five persons were allegedly beheaded, with their heads taken away by assailants from the Amasiri clan.
The governor gave the directives on Saturday during an on-the-spot assessment visit to Okporojo, where he addressed residents, community leaders, security agencies and government officials.
Nwifuru described the attack as “most unfortunate” and said such a barbaric act should never be tolerated in Ebonyi State.
He assured that the state government would decisively deal with the perpetrators, stressing that the lives lost would not be in vain.
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He urged residents to remain calm and embrace peace, warning that any form of retaliation would only worsen the situation. According to him, government actions would be firm but guided by the need to prevent further escalation of the crisis.
Nwifuru revealed that the conflict had lingered for years despite several reconciliation efforts, including boundary agreements between the affected communities, lamenting that such agreements were repeatedly violated.
Locals reported that the attackers stormed the community in the early hours of Friday, unleashing violence that left several residents killed, many abducted, and multiple houses razed.
A resident recounts that the assailants carried out gruesome killings during the raid.
“The gunmen beheaded five persons and took their heads away,” the source said, adding that “many people were also kidnapped, and several houses were set on fire.”
Videos circulating on social media show raging fires consuming residential buildings, while voices in the background can be heard crying for help and calling on authorities to intervene.
“The whole community is under attack. They are burning our houses and killing our people,” a distressed voice said in one of the clips.
Another resident said the community had been thrown into chaos, with many villagers fleeing into nearby bushes and neighbouring communities for safety.
“We don’t know who these people are. They came suddenly and started shooting and burning houses. People are running for their lives,” the resident said.
At the time of filing this report, the motive behind the attack remains unknown, and no group has so far claimed responsibility.
The state government has confirmed the attack, describing it as “barbaric.”
Residents are appealing to the state government and security agencies to urgently deploy security forces to the area to restore calm and prevent further loss of lives.
Okporojo community is one of several rural settlements in Ebonyi State that have in recent years experienced sporadic violent attacks, raising concerns about worsening insecurity in parts of the state.
In April 2025, four people were killed during a land dispute with the neighbouring community of Amasiri.
Crediblenewsng.com
