The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has intensified fears in the area, with residents blaming suspected political thugs for the unrest

By Titilope Adako

One person has been killed and several others injured following a renewed outbreak of communal violence in Ekoli, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has intensified fears in the area, with residents blaming suspected political thugs for the unrest.

A similar attack last month reportedly claimed one life and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

Among those earlier targeted were a former Edda council chairman and ex-member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Dr Eni Uduma Chima, and his younger brother, Chima Uduma Chima.

The duo narrowly escaped death after their vehicle came under heavy gunfire. Following the attack, residents allegedly declared them persona non grata and banished them for seven years, accusing them of fuelling the unrest.

The latest violence reportedly claimed the life of one Udu Nnachi Uzor in Ndenworo village.

Speaking to journalists, his wife Onyinye said the attackers, believed to be members of a vigilante group known as Catcham Boys, stormed their home around noon.

“They asked for my husband and then shot him in our bedroom. One of them, known as Deri, fired the fatal shot. His body is now in the mortuary,” she said.

A community leader, Etta Egor, condemned the killing and accused the vigilante group of terrorising villagers.

“We saw them with pump-action guns, moving around with police and soldiers. Minutes later, we heard gunshots. By the time we got to Nnachi Uzor’s home, he was already dead. His wife and children were crying,” Egor said.

He expressed disappointment over the silence of the government, asking, “What has Ekoli done to deserve this?”

In a related development, a MAC truck owned by Dr Chima was allegedly hijacked during the earlier attack and remains missing.

The community has appealed to the Ebonyi State Government and security agencies to step in immediately to avert further bloodshed.

Efforts to reach the police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

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