The people of Effium Autonomous community in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State have distanced themselves from abducting the six persons missing along the Ebonyi-Benue boundary communities in Ado local government area of Benue State.
Secretary General of the Effium Community Town Union, Hon Amos Akpa, in a statement called on security agencies to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
LEADERSHIP gathered that this is not the first time that persons who are unconnected to the Effium/Ezza-Effium communal war have been declared missing without trace in the dispute that has lingered for more than two years between the communities.
The statement reads, “We wish to express our dismay over a publication by a National Daily of 2nd June, 2024 in which one Chief Okebili Nwoka alleged that six persons are missing along Ebonyi – Benue boundary Community in Ado local government area of Benue state and that the victims have been traced to Akparata village where they were suspected to have been seized by Effium warlords who have been engaged in a communal crisis with Ezza people.
“Ordinarily, and in line with our avowed peaceful disposition, we wouldn’t have wasted our precious man-hour to respond to this fake and unsubstantiated news, but because of the sensitive nature of the news and its capability of misleading the public, especially as it links the law-abiding people of Effium in Akparata to this condemnable and unfortunate incidence.
“We wish to state in clear terms, that Effium people in Akparata are innocent of this barbaric act and the unfounded allegation that the victims were seized by Effium warlords is baseless, weighty, unfortunate and obviously laughable ”
The statement described the report as a sinister mission taken too far and “we consider it as a desperate attempt to once again cause disaffection between Effium people and her Izzi brothers having failed in previous attempts.”
Akpa called on the public to notice that mischief makers and unfortunate “money bags who have been bankrolling the Ezzas in waging war against Effium people are at it again.”
It added that, “It is on records that the initial information from the Coordinator of Effium Development Centre, Mr Ogbonna points to the fact that the victims were traced to Odum village in Benue State, and not Akparata, therefore bringing Akparata village into the picture is an afterthought and a collective conspiracy of the highest order.
“Once again, we wish to state for the information of all that Akparata people are not aware of the missing persons.”
The Community further called on security agencies to bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act to face justice.
In the same vein, it called on the security agencies to thoroughly investigate Chief Okebili Nwoka for complicity.
It would be recalled that six persons were allegedly declared missing at Ebonyi-Benue boundary community in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.
A community leader, Chief Nwokwa, said the six family members went missing on weekend when they visited some Fulani herders stationed at the boundary community to buy cow for the burial of their late in-law, Ogbuagu Ngbo of Nkaleke village.
Nwokwa named the victims to include Obinna Ajah, Aloysius Ajah, Titus Nwogha, Friday Nwuzu, Emeka Okwor, and Anthony Ibina, who are both from Onuebor-Nomeh.
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