(GIST): Bloody bath in Anambra community over land dispute

The age long boundary dispute between Echonwa and Odeke people of Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State and Okpeze Aguleri-Otu communities in Anambra East Local Government has taken a dangerous dimension as about three Anambra indigenes have been reported missing over the dispute.

The missing persons were allegedly kidnapped in Aguleri-Otu, Anambra East Local Government during a bloody clash between the two warring communities.

There are also reports that about 200 houses were burnt and property worth several millions of naira destroyed.

A source alleged that the Echonwa and Odeke people invaded the Okpali and Okpeze Aguleri-Otu communities during which the clash ensued.

Confirming the incident, the transition Committee Chairman of Anambra East Local Government, Comrade Chiedu Obidigwe described the attack as unprovoked and an invasion on his people as they were not ready for war.
He accused the Kogi State government and Ibaji Local Government of fuelling the war, adding thus:

“I am personally accusing the Kogi State government and chairman of Ibaji Local Government of inciting their people against our people, as they have not done anything tangible to contain the excesses of their people.

“The chairman of Ibaji Local Government has done nothing to stop his people from invading us, but I have day in, day out reached out to our people not to take up arms to avoid outright war with the people of Ibaji and Kogi at large.
“We are not interested in fighting the Echonwa and Odeke from Kogi State.

They have invaded us and as I speak to you, our people have been invaded at Okpali Aguleri-Otu, and Okpeze Aguleri by Kogi people. They are burning houses and chasing our people away from their ancestral homes and land in unprovoked attacks.

“Two of our people got bullet wounds; two motorcycles were burnt with property worth several millions of naira. As at now, nobody was killed and two people were arrested and taken to the police.

“We are looking for two persons from our community and police are aware of that, and the only Army and police around the place are from Anambra State.

We have not seen or heard that any Army or police from Kogi State visited there”, he alleged.