1 week ago
25
From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The Coordinator of Ishielu North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Emeka Odanwu, has revealed that normalcy was returning to Nkalaha Community in the local government after the killings of 15 members of the community by gunmen
15 members of Nkalaha Community in the local government were recently killed by yet to be identified armed men with houses and other properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
The state police command and Governor Francis Nwifuru said that preliminary investigation shows that the killings were masterminded by criminal elements and not herdsmen as widely speculated.
The command arrested the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka over his comments before and after the attack.
The youth leader has been in detention since last week he was arrested in Imo State and taken to Ebonyi State.
Odanwu said Igboayaka must be investigated by security agencies over his comments on the killings.
Addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, he noted that he was the one that petitioned the police on the utterances of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council leader which led to his arrest.
“I am here to put the records straight on the circumstances surrounding the arrest of one Igboayaka O. Igboayaka.
“1. On the 31st day of January 2025, one Mr. Igboayaka issued a press statement that the people of Obeagu, Nkalaha and Egedegede should gear up their security network as there was an impending attack on them.
“Two days later, precisely on the 2nd of February 2025, being a Sunday, the people of Amagu village in Nkalaha community were attacked, and about 15 people were killed, and houses were burnt. It is safe to say that his prediction became a reality.
“While we were still in grief and trying to unravel what happened to us. The said Igboayaka also released another statement that he infromed the Governor of Ebonyi state four days before the attack.
“Our pains and fears were deepened by the audacity of his claims. We strongly believe that he knows a lot that needs to be shared with the security agencies.
“Therefore, on the 5th day of February 2025, I wrote a petition in my capacity as the Development Centre Coordinator calling on the police to please invite Mr Igboayaka to investigate the said statements as he may have valuable information as to what led to the mindless massacre of our people on the said 2nd of February 2025. I took that responsibility because some other places he mentioned like Obeagu and Egedegede still fall under Ishielu North Development Centre and since his first prediction came to pass the people of our Development Centre are presently apprehensive and scared of the unknown considering the precision with which his prediction came to pass.
” We decided to toe this lawful path of going to the police to enable him to share with the police the same intelligence he had claimed to have shared with the Governor. This will undoubtedly help the police to unravel the identities of the persons behind the dastardly act perpetrated against our people.
“Moreover, it will forestall the reoccurrence of the urgly incident in our place, particularly in the areas he mentioned in his press release. This is the reason for his arrest. We believe Mr. Igboayaka has a responsibility to tell the police the sources of his intelligence.
“If the police investigates him and he provides satisfactory and evidence-based explanation, so be it. But in the contrary, if he is found culpable, we demand that he should be made to face the full weight of the law. Our people are still traumatised over the unforgettable experience of the 2nd February, 2025.
“Though we have actually geared up our security network around our environs to avoid a repeat occurrence, normalcy is gradually returning now in our place, particularly in Amagu Nkalaha.
“The security agents have been doing their best and are working round the clock to forestall further breakdown of law and order in our Development Centre among which is the ongoing investigation.
” therefore urge our people to remain steadfast and calm and allow them to unravel the identities of attackers. We are confident in their ability to deliver. The blood of our slain compatriots and their bereaved family members cries for justice”, he said.
English (US) ·