Not less than 200 persons have reportedly lost their lives following the communal war between Abaomege and Ishinkwo, communities in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The communal war which started in 2020, over disputed ownership of piece of land has led to unwanton destruction of properties in the area forcing many to flee their homes.
Thus, the residents of both communities are appealing to the state governor, Engr David Nweze Umahi, to urgently intervene to stop the two-year communal war.
In separate interviews, residents of the communities said that over 200 lives and properties worth millions of Naira have been lost by both sides of the communities since the war started.
An Abuja based Nollywood actor and car dealer, Mr Delaw Eze, who hails from Abaomege, lamented loss of lives and property in the two communities, as a result of the communal clashes, alleging that the state government is playing politics with lives of residents and not interested in handling the menace.
Mr Eze said that communal clash have led to the loss of over 230 people in the two communities, while their representatives in government keep silent.
He said: “June 2022 will make it two years that Abaomege and Ishinkwo communities started fighting themselves over a piece of land. The two communities no longer go to farm nor stay home alone as no one knows what will happen next. All the indigenes living close to the boundary have vacated their homes, while their homes are being used as the battle field.
“All the houses around their boundary have all been razed down, including the schools in both communities. Churches don’t hold services without local security watching and no occasion takes place without security in place. The people have been living in complete fear as those who cannot afford security have fled the village for the city. The youths of the two communities have been militarised and the indigenes wearied by heavy taxation.
“I’ve been in the inbox of Governor Dave Umahi to intervene, but he has always played down my requests and sometimes insult me. I have proofs of our numerous chat. He once directed his deputy to convene a stakeholders meeting outside the two communities, after my engaging him on WhatsApp. After the meeting, they came up with a four-point agenda, which was announced by the PRO of Onicha LGA. However, up till today, none of those four points has been implemented.
“Last year, members of the two communities approached the government to come and demarcate the land, so that they will have a clear boundary for everyone to know and stay clear of it. The government promised to come with bulldozers to make a wide and clear boundary since they already have a boundary, as agreed in court. However, the government failed to do so and gave excuse of rainy season for their inability to come with the bulldozers and promised to do that during the dry season.”
He added: “Sadly, as a result of the hesitation on the part of government, the communal war between Abaomege and Ishinkwo communities has continued. More people have been killed and more houses burnt. It has raged on until this year’s dry season. Again, we started agitating for the boundary demarcation and all we hear are excuses upon excuses.
“Dave Umahi has abandoned the people of Abaomege and Ishinkwo to continue killing themselves in a war that has solution. The Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area, Felix Igboke, who doubles as an in-law to Abaomege, is silent. Rt. Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa, House of Assembly member representing Onicha East state constituency, under which Abaomege and Ishinkwo communities exist, has not done anything on the matter.
“Also, Rt. Hon. Livinus Makwe, member representing Onicha/Ohaozara and Ivo Federal Constituency, which include Abaomege and Ishinkwo, and the Senator representing Ebonyi South, Senator Michael Nnachi, are completely silent on the matter.
“Meanwhile, bullets are flying everywhere in the two communities. People are dying, properties are being destroyed and nobody cares. I am crying out to the whole world to help us as our leaders have failed us. We want peace, but we want the government to come and demarcate the land. All they do is to play politics with the lives of the citizens, which is unfortunate.
“I spoke with many stakeholders from both communities and they are all pointing accusing fingers at the Government, saying that the government has been mute and uninterested in bringing solutions to the war between the two communities. They all said that the boundary demarcation is the solution. I also heard that the reason the bulldozers have not been deployed is because government has not released fund for it.
“The question is: How much can be used to hire a bulldozer that is more than the N100m form the governor recently purchased from APC for presidential election? Is it that he values power more than life or what? If the war was between his community and another, will he and Onicha LGA chairman treat it the way they do?”
Resident paints gory picture
On his part, a resident of Ishinkwo, Edeh Philemon Chukwudi, lamented the helplessness of the communities in curbing the war, saying that, before now, the two communities have lived in peace for over 34 years, inter-marrying and creating robust economic/business environment for themselves, adding that innocent strangers are also killed in the war.
He said: “The protracted communal war between Ishinkwo and Abaomege has continued to be a thorn on flesh of the two communities and passersby alike. Before now, the two communities have lived in peace for over 34 years inter-marrying, creating robust economic/business environment for themselves. The bond, which existed between the two communities, made it almost impossible to witness the kind of full-blown war we are witnessing today. Ishinkwo and Abaomege, in their peace time, regularly had inter-school debate, football competition, cultural fiesta like wrestling, etc. How this bond of brotherly love was broken is what I cannot wrap my head around.
“Since June 6, 2020, it has been 23 months of festival of blood, 23 months of destructions, 23 months of living in fear, anguish and terror, 23 months of pain and sorrow, 23 months of constant gun duel, etc
“According to government figures as at March this year, the number of lives lost to this ugly war stood at over 200. These were young men and women brimming with life. Some are passersby, according to the government, and their lives were cut short for no offence other than accessing a federal road.
“Consequently, the number of properties lost to this war cannot be quantified and it continues to increase daily. For instance, community secondary schools in Ishinkwo and Abaomege have gone up in flames, Ugwuonoko Primary School was burnt down. Hephzibah Comprehensive Secondary School, which is my alma mater, was torched, alongside other numerous private buildings and properties.
These community schools were built solely with community effort. Parents went to bed hungry, in an effort to ensure they contributed in building these schools. Today, those efforts have been washed down with the blood of their sons.
“Unfortunately, government at all levels have allowed these two communities to kill and destroy themselves. The primary purpose of responsible government is the protection of lives and properties of citizens. The Ebonyi state government, Onicha LGA, national and state representatives of these communities have shown high level of irresponsibility to the people of Ishinkwo and Abaomege.
“In one of my short interventions to the crisis on social media on November 3, 2020, I asked why is it that the state government is sitting aloof, while precious lives are being wasted. What stops them from fishing out the sponsors of this carnage? The major responsibility of a responsible government is the protection of lives and property. I ended up asking the Ebonyi state government to sit up.
“Today, David Umahi and Felix Ogbonnaya Igboke, governor and Onicha local government chairman, respectively, have shown that the lives of Ndi Ishinkwo and Abaomege do not matter.
“Since June 6, 2020, they have continued to pass the buck. From Hon. Fr. Abraham Nwali Committee to Ohanivo Council of Traditional Rulers, who never sat even for a day, to Bishop Monday Nkwagu Committee. Hon. Fr. Nwali Committee came up with its own report and it has been gathering dust and cobwebs in the governor’s office. If there is willpower to demarcate the disputed land, why is it not captured in this fiscal year budget? All Mr governor wants to do is to continue dribbling these communities till he hands over in 2023.
“In one of the meetings I held with the appointee of the Umahi government, I was made to understand that the governor has practically hands off anything that has to do with Ishinkwo and Abaomege communal war. The governor, according to the appointee, said he needs ‘a committed peace, that the two communities should go and hire tractors and start the demarcations themselves. This goes to show that our lives don’t matter to him. It is worthy to note that every document that should aid the demarcation has been signed by the leaders of the two communities. It is the government that is delaying and elongating blood spillage in Ishinkwo and Abaomege.”
He added: “In politics, the two communities have been denied positions that ordinarily should have been zoned to them in the just concluded APC zoning arrangements. The callous denial was spearheaded by Felix Ogbnnaya Igboke, the Onicha LG chairman. Onicha is made of two state constituencies, Onicha East and West. Onicha West has held and is still holding the position of LG chairman for whopping 16 years, while Onicha East has only held the position for paltry 7 and 6 months years. In that 7 years and 6 months, the Ezza speaking communities of Ukawu, Ishinkwo and Abaomege have held it for 2 years and 6 months.
“The statutory Onicha East constituency was held from 1999-2007 by Hon. Patrick Ededugwu from Okuzzu-Ukawu ward of Ukawu community. Hon. Odefa O. Odefa has been ingloriously occupying the position since 2007 till date. Where is justice, equity and fairness in zoning the position of Onicha LG chairman to Onicha West, Onicha-Igboeze to be precise, when the current occupant is from Onicha West constituency? The position of Ohanivo federal constituency is zoned to Onicha West, while the statutory Onicha East state constituency was zoned to Okuzzu-Ukawu ward again. This is very much annoying!
“I am not angry because of where or who the positions were zoned to, no. I am angry because these people have continued to divide us for their selfish gain. All they care about is how to use us to advance their agenda. Those of us campaigning for these sets of people are the real enemies and the people and posterity won’t be kind to us all.
“My brothers and sisters in Ishinkwo and Abaomege, I appeal to your consciences, join the peace advocacy for your people, condemn what’s condemnable. Speak up now against these politicians and make them understand that our lives matter. Make them restless until they do the right thing, which is the demarcation of the disputed land. We cannot continue killing ourselves. We cannot continue burning down our scarce houses. There is strength in our unity. Let’s unite and fight our adversaries. Let’s unite and collectively find solution to our problems.”
Spiritual undertone?
However, Pastor Nwagu Eugene from Abaomege community said that there is a spiritual implication to the war by the two communities.
“Until we all deal with the spiritual aspect of this carnage, we might be taking an excursion on a fruitless search, a wild goose chase. This war has a spiritual undertone. The devil hates progress and what he does is to stir up excessive hate and pain. I have alerted pastors and Christian brothers on this and we have been committing the issue in prayers, but we need more concerted efforts. We’ve gone ahead to invite ministers from the two warring communities to prayer meetings at Abakaliki, under the auspices of CAN Onicha LGA, but only Ukawu and Abaomege ministers responded.
“The matter is more than we think. It has an underlying factor, but he that is born of God overcometh the world. With the right attitude to information and a heart cry to God, we will certainly overcome the enemy and everlasting peace will be ushered in. Thank you so much for being part of the vanguard for peace. Keep the flag flying. May the good Lord that gave you this vision separate you for Himself alone.”
Community leaders speak
Also speaking in a phone interview, the traditional ruler of Ishinkwo, HRH Eze Ikegwu, said that the communal war between Ishinkwo and Abaomege has eaten deep into the two communities and he is personally tired of seeing his subjects die or killed.
He said: “I stand for peace and will do anything for peace to return to our communities. It is simple for peace to return to our communities. The clergymen, led by the Bishop of Anglican Communion, Diocese of Abakaliki, Bishop Monday C. Nkeegu, have tried to solve the problem and Ishinkwo and Abaomege communities have agreed to make peace. We told the government to come and demarcate the boundary and make it obvious like a ditch. The government agreed to deploy bulldozers for the demarcation, but since last year till now, nobody can give any reason why the bulldozers have not come from the government.
“The last rainy season, the government gave excuse of rain, but since this dry season, they are yet to accomplish it and the rain has started again. I can categorically tell you that if the government demarcates the land today, using the map and survey already with them, the crisis will stop. The only thing causing this needless war is the boundary demarcation. If government needs us to contribute money for the bulldozers, the two communities will be ready to contribute as we want the war to end by all means possible.”
Similarly, following the death of King of Abaomege, HRH Eze Gabriel Ineke, the Prince of Abaomege, Prince Augustine Ineke, repeated the position of the traditional ruler of Ishinkwo, saying the two communities want peace.
“The only solution as it stands is the boundary demarcation by the government. We want peace and I stand for peace. Only the Government can solve this problem because of how deep the two communities have hated themselves over these two years,” he said.
On his part, a top senior police officer in Abaomege, who pleaded for his name not to be put in print, said that the solution to the Ishinkwo and Abaomege communal war lies with the government.
“The solution to the problem lies with government. There is need for the presence of security men to end the Ishinkwo and Abaomege communal wars. Government should either build a security unit in that place or do anything that will bring Government presence in the place,” he said.
Government’s reaction
In June 2020, when the war freshly broke out, the Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi, had visited the warring communities and ordered them to seize fire, while assuring them that the state government will do all it could to ensure that peace returns. The governor had ordered the Nigeria Army, Police and other security agencies to take over the two communities to avert further killings and destruction of lives and property, also ordering the State Ministry of Lands to take over the disputed land. However, the communal war has persisted as residents get killed every now and then.
The Director, Legal services, Ishinkwo Autonomous Community, Barrister Innocent Elum, said in a statement in January that Umahi is on top of the situation.
He said: “The dispute started in 1902 and has defied all approaches to make peace between the communities. Several lives and property worth several millions of naira have been claimed by the intermittent bloody hostilities that characterised the disagreement.
“It should be noted that Ishinkwo community was carved out of Ukawu and both communities have remained in a harmonious and cordial relationship that has celebrated many inter- community marriages and political cooperation. As a matter of fact, both communities still share a political Ward named Ishinkwo-Ukawu Ward.”
He stressed that the Ebonyi State government of Dave Umahi is currently on top of the situation, raising hopes that the matter may soon end. He, however, urged Governor Umahi to kindly speed up the process of demarcating the disputed pieces of land to bring lasting peace between the warring communities.
However, when contacted on May 11, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Francis Nwaze couldn’t be reached to comment on the sad development.
