Hoodlums engage soldiers in gun duel in Ebonyi community

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Hoodlums engage soldiers in gun duel in Ebonyi community

A fresh crisis on Wednesday erupted at the Umueze II village, in the already troubled Effium community, in the Ohaukwu local area of Ebonyi State, The PUNCH learnt.

The hoodlums, it was gathered, besieged the Christ Ascension Church in the area to vandalise the Church, when soldiers on duty in the community got intelligence of the development and approached the vicinity to stop them.

On sighting the soldiers, the hoodlums opened fire on them apparently to scare them away.

The community has been enmeshed in a protracted intra-communal crisis since 2021, between the people of Ezza-Effium and Uffiom leading to the death of over 4000 persons and destruction of property worth billions of Naira.

The latest incident is coming barely two weeks representatives of the parties to the crisis signed a ceasefire agreement.

The PUNCH reports that a Peace Committee was recently set up by the Ebonyi State Government to find lasting solution to the crisis, in the area.

A strong community source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “A ceasefire agreement was signed by representatives of the parties to Effium communal war; viz Ezza-Effium and Uffiom in August, 2023.

“Today, Wednesday, reports emerged that there was firing at Christ Ascension Church Umueze 2 near Effium Community Secondary School.

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“On investigations, a soldier who pleaded strict anonymity and three civilians said in different telephone interviews that suspected warlords were demolishing the said Church and detaching the corrugated iron roofs of the church when the locals alerted soldiers who intercepted the criminals.

“On sighting the soldiers, the criminals jumped down from different parts of the church and took to their heels while their accomplices fired gunshots probably to restrain the soldiers.

“They abandoned the zincs which they had rolled into bundles and two wheelbarrows. Those bundles of zinc and wheelbarrows were taken as exhibits by the soldiers to their temporal base at Nwekendiegu village.

“Over 5000 persons have died since 2021, when this crisis started.

Efforts to reach the Ebonyi Police Command for comments on the situation failed, on Wednesday.

Calls to the Police spokesperson in the state, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, were not answered. She was yet to respond to messages sent to her mobile phone as of the time of filing this report.

Also, when contacted, Secretary to the Peace Committee, Rev. Fr. Charles Otu, said, “Kindly get in touch with the Captain in charge to confirm the information available to you please. God bless you.”