The attack left four people dead, with three reportedly beheaded and taken by assailants from the Amasiri clan.
Police in Ebonyi State have arrested Anya Baron-Ogbonnia, coordinator of the Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo Local Government Area, along with two traditional rulers, in connection with the killings in Okporojo community, Edda Local Government Area.
The attack left four people dead, with three reportedly beheaded and taken by assailants from the Amasiri clan.
Confirming the arrests, Ebonyi State Police Command spokesperson SP Joshua Ukandu named the detained traditional rulers as Onyaidam Bassey and Godfrey Oko-Obia.
“Yes, following the attack, the coordinator of Amasiri, two traditional rulers, and other individuals were arrested during a joint security operation,” Ukandu told Channels TV on Tuesday. “All suspects are currently in custody, and investigations are ongoing.
The command will not relent until everyone involved is brought to justice.”
Ukandu said the operation was conducted jointly by the police, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
He added that 10 suspects had already been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation.
The killings followed a long-standing land dispute between residents of Okporojo village in the Oso Edda community, Edda LGA, and their neighbors from Amasiri in Afikpo LGA.
The conflict reportedly escalated on January 29, when suspected armed individuals attacked Okporojo village, killing four residents and destroying homes and property.
In response, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru dissolved the political and traditional leadership structures of the Amasiri clan in Afikpo LGA.
The governor announced the sack of the officials during a visit to Okporojo village on Sunday.
Earlier, a traditional leader from the affected community had called for urgent government intervention, urging security agencies to apprehend those responsible for the violence.
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