Unidentified gunmen have allegedly killed 17 persons in Effium community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
According to reports, the attackers invaded the community on Saturday, shooting sporadically at residents, some of whom sustained injuries while 17 died.
Although there has been a lingering communal crisis between Ezza-Effium and Effium people of the Ohuakwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State since January 2021, which had resulted in the death of innocent persons and destruction of property worth millions of naira. there seems to have been infiltration of terrorist within the state.
During the Easter Break, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who visited the areas, assessed the level of damage caused by the conflict and promised that Nigerian Government would do everything to ensure that security was beefed up in the communities.
He also stated that victims would get justice.
He had condemned the attacks, and sympathised with the victims, describing such acts as cowardly, wicked, and “very deeply distressing.”
Meanwhile, the police command in the state has confirmed the recent attack but denied the casualty figure.
Speaking with Punch, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident but said nobody was reported to the police to have died.
She however added that she heard there was the usual restiveness in the area and that the situation was brought under control.
“They never reported one person not to talk of 17 people killed. We only heard that there was restiveness in the area and that the situation has been brought under control.
“They reported back under two hours that the situation has been brought under control,” Odah said.
