Couple abducted in Ebonyi community over land dispute

A man and his wife have been abducted in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria’s South-east.

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The couple’s abduction followed a crisis between Ezza and Ihe people in Ishiagu Community in the local government area of the state.

The incident happened on Saturday.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the Ezza and Ihe people had a disagreement over ownership of farmland which resulted in the crisis.

The couple were said to have been attacked in the farmland, but the identities of the attackers were unclear.

Sources said that trouble started when a male indigene of Ihe was stopped by some boys when he wanted to fetch a pig feed during a burial of a youth in the area.

“It was a personal matter that escalated. So, when they told the man to go back, it resulted in a fight where one person was injured, and the other group went on a rampage, burning a house.

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“The police were invited, and some people were arrested. They said that some boys attacked and killed some people in the early hours of yesterday (Tuesday), and also abducted two people,” said one of the sources, who asked not to be named.

The Chairperson of Ivo Local Government Area, Emmanuel Ajah, has confirmed the incident.

Mr Aja said he went to the police to appeal for the release of those arrested and learnt that two people – a couple – had been abducted.

The chairperson said the matter was a personal fracas between Ezza and Ihe people over where they farm, pointing out that some boys hijacked the situation to cause mayhem in the area.

Speaking to reporters in Abakaliki on Tuesday, Mr Ajah condemned the frequent killings, abductions, arson and reprisals involving the warring towns of Ezza, Ihe and others.

He regretted that innocent residents were bearing the brunt of the clashes.

“Nobody has the right to take a life. You cannot create a human being, so there is no reason to kill one because of land.

“Once you take the law into your hands, the law will hold you whether you are right or wrong,” he noted.

The chairperson pointed out that the crisis escalated because of the activities of armed groups suspected to have links to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, a group seeking secession of South-east and South-south from Nigeria.

He said the armed groups were brought into the area under the guise of protecting communities from marauding herders.

Mr Ajah recounted multiple incidents, including the killing of a white expatriate, two police officers, and several locals, which he said had deepened tensions and triggered retaliatory attacks in the area.

The chairperson stressed that security operatives had already identified militant hideouts in the Ezza-Ekembe Axis and were making arrangements to dislodge them.

He explained that committees have been set up to mediate into disputes between landlords and tenants which he said have been exploited to fuel the violence.

Mr Ajah lamented that despite efforts to broker peace among the warring communities, attacks on farms and homes, as well as the abduction and killing, have persisted.

“The people committing these crimes often escape, leaving innocent persons to suffer. I am appealing to both sides to stop the killings. We must give peace a chance,” he appealed.

The chairperson said a high-level security meeting had been scheduled to determine the fate of missing victims, recover corpses, and forge a sustainable peace plan for the troubled communities.

“We must ensure the dislodging of any bad elements causing unrest, if only to provide peace for our people.

“We learnt that several persons, including women from the community, have been abducted. I have been informed about the abductions and, as the council chairman, I must condemn these acts,” he said.

He stressed that resorting to violence was not the solution and called for unity among the two warring communities.

“I urge the residents to practice restraint and avoid violent reprisals. Killing is never justifiable, especially over land disputes.

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“Taking a human life is condemnable, and those who engage in such actions will face the wrath of the law,” he stated.

“We call for thorough investigations to determine the truth behind these escalating hostilities. We must investigate whether it was indeed an attack from Ihe or a retaliatory action.”

Police speak

The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, has confirmed the incident.

Mr Ukandu, a superintendent of police, identified the abducted couple Mr and Mrs Lazarus Igboke.

The spokesperson said the police in the state had launched an operation to rescue the victims.

“When we got the information, we launched an operation, trying to rescue the abductees, but our men could not see them, but recovered a piece of cloth belonging to one of them,” he said.

“For now, we don’t have a record of any killing, but an investigation is on to ascertain the cause of the crisis.”