The Ebonyi State Government on Tuesday donated relief materials and cash worth N30 million to Internally Displaced Persons in Azuofia-Edda community in Abakaliki Local Government.

The beneficiaries were victims of the inter-communal conflict between the Azuofia-Edda community in Ebonyi and neighbouring Obubara community in Cross River.

Governor Dave Umahi, represented by his deputy, Eric Kelechi-Igwe, condemned the unprovoked attack on the community by the neighbouring community in Cross River.

He expressed regrets on the wanton destruction of human lives, burning of houses as well as the loss of material and property by the Azuofia-Edda people.

He said that the relief items and the gifts could not make up for the losses incurred by the people from the hostility.

He added that it was part of the government efforts to cushion the suffering of the victims.

“Today our people are made refugees in their own homes, sleeping in open fields, bare floors and suffering all kinds of untold hardship as a result of the displacement.

“We cannot as a government watch our kith and kin who fell victims of this ‘human wickedness’ to suffer in such manner.

“The intervention is a demonstration of government’s love, commitment and support for the victims of the inter-communal conflict.

“I want to assure you that the people and government of Ebonyi will do everything to return you back to normal life.

“Also to assure you that never again will such an unprovoked attack be visited on you by your neighbours,” Mr. Umahi said.

He said the state government condemned in strong terms the killings of the innocent people of the state, saying that his administration would never condone such barbaric attack on the people.

He condoled with families who lost their loved ones and other victims of the crisis, assuring them that government had beefed up security in the area.

“We will always be by your side and will at all times ensure that such unprovoked attack is not meted out to the community.

“We have beefed up security in the area and have notified President Muhammadu Buhari, National Assembly, National Emergency Management Agency and the United Nations on this senseless attack.

“The primary responsibility of any government is to provide adequate security to the lives and property of its citizens and this we are committed to,” he said.

The items distributed to the victims, include 560 bags of rice, 560 cartons of noodles, and 300 treated mosquito nets.

The others are 280 cartons of wrapper, 140 six-spring mattresses and N100,000 to each of the over 200 IDPs.

The crisis, which started on January 13, left unspecified number of persons dead and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.

(NAN)