A renewed hostility between Ogwo in Ishiagu community and their neighbours in Akaeze, both in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi has claimed two lives.
It was gathered that Ishiagu and Akaeze communities have been embroiled in decades of boundary disputes that have claimed hundreds of lives from both sides.
Reacting to the latest incident, the LGA Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Aja, condemned the killing and vowed to unmask the perpetrators.
Aja gave the assurance in a statement in Abakaliki on Sunday, vowing that the killers must be fished out and prosecuted.
He said no one involved in perpetrating evil in the council nor involved in killing human beings in the area would go unpunished.
The council boss charged the security agencies to beef up security in the area, especially around the flash points to avoid reprisal attack.
“I strongly condemn the gruesome murder of two indigenes of Ogwor Community in Ishiagu by people suspected to be from Umobor Community in Akaeze.
“This is the effect of a land dispute between the two communities, which has lasted for decades, and my administration has done its best to handle the issue since we came on board.
“A committee I constituted has mediated on it and came up with a resolution that the said land shall be parcellated this November; a solution adopted by the stakeholders of the two communities, but to my surprise, this evil act came up,” he said.
He called on the feuding communities to sheath their swords and maintain calm as the report of the standing committee would be implemented to address the long-standing boundary dispute.
Meanwhile, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident, saying that the command had yet to identify the perpetrators.
“Yes, we have received a report of the killing of two indigenes of Ogwo Community in Ishiagu.
“The killing took place at a farm settlement, called Ayaragu Ogwo, which belongs to Ogwo Community.
“Investigation is ongoing to unravel the motive behind the killing and bring perpetrators to justice,” Ukandu said.
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