Three months old baby, five family members killed in renewed boundary dispute

Uchenna Inya, ABAKALIKI

Nine persons, including a three-month-old baby were killed in a renewed boundary dispute between the people of Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and their neighbouring Enyigba community, Abakaliki Local Government Area in the state.

In the renewed violence which occurred at the weekend, nine persons, including a three month old baby were killed. The baby is among family members returning from a matriculation. The baby and five other family members were burnt to death. Other victims died of gunshot wounds.

The two communities have been at war for decades over boundary matters with many killed and properties worth millions of naira destroyed. Attempts to settle the dispute by successive administrations in the state have been abortive.

One of the victims is the wife of a police officer fighting insurgents in Borno State. The renewed attack happened along the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike road, near the border between the two communities.

The Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Loveth Odah confirmed the incident.

She said: "It is a longstanding dispute between Ndiagu Alike community in Ikwo Local Government Area and Enyibichiri community in Abakaliki Local Government Area. The renewed dispute started on Saturday. A vehicle was allegedly set ablaze by warriors from one of the communities. The victims were coming from Abakaliki where they had attended a matriculation of their son. Six of them were from the same family, including a little baby. They were burnt to ashes.”

The spokesperson said the driver carrying the family, on sighting the warlords, tried to reverse the car, but in his haste, ran into a ditch. The gunmen opened fire on the car. Their bullets punctured the fuel tank, which caught fire, killing the baby and five others. Also three other persons were also attacked and two of them were killed. One of them, a woman, was the wife of a police officer deployed to Borno State.”

Commissioner for Border Peace and Internal Security, Dr Kenneth Ugbala said some occupants of other cars behind the burnt bus were injured by stray bullets. He disclosed that the wounded were receiving treatment at a hospital in Abakaliki.

He wondered why a land dispute would spill into market places and down to roads, which are very far from the disputed land. He said government has deployed more security operatives to the area to restore normalcy.

Ugbala noted: “The Deputy Governor of the state, Kelechi Igwe, will soon visit the area to ascertain the level of damage.”

It was also learnt that the state Governor, David Umahi, who is on a working vacation outside the country, has cut short his vacation and will be back to the state soon to attend to the crisis.