You must produce severed heads of slain victims, Nigerian governor tells community

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has announced that schools will remain shut in the Amasiri community of Afikpo Local Government Area, despite the relaxation of the curfew in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Amasiri was recently involved in a renewed land dispute with neighbouring Okporojo, in the Oso community of Edda Local Government Area, which led to killings and destruction of several properties.

The killings assumed a gruesome dimension, with the attackers beheading four of the victims and escaping with the severed heads.

Mr Nwifuru, during a visit to the area on 31 January, reeled off sanctions on Amasiri, including the sacking of its political appointees, the dethronement of its traditional rulers, the imposition of a curfew, and the closure of schools, among others.

The governor, while briefing reporters at the end of a security meeting on Tuesday, announced that schools would remain shut in the area despite the relaxation of the curfew.

“The curfew has been relaxed from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Schools would, however, remain shut because the security council did not remember the issue in its deliberations.

“This is a germane issue which could not have been brought to our attention if the journalist did not do so,” he said.

He noted that reopening schools would pose some risks due to the security situation in the area.

“The government’s actions on Amasiri are not to show power but to maintain law and order in the people’s interest.

“Nobody hates them, and if not for these security measures, there could have been a full-blown communal conflict in the area with several deaths recorded.

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“Amasiri would have been contending with several communities as they also killed, beheaded an Akpoha indigene and severed his head from the body,” he said.

Mr Nwifuru maintained that the Amasiri people must produce the severed heads of the Okporo indigenes, as the government was not taking the issue lightly.

“They have failed to produce the heads within the period given to them, and that made the government respond appropriately with more severe sanctions.

“We would not make the sanctions public and are also not distracted by the social media antics of indigenes of the community,” he said.