The Social Democratic Party (SDP) flag bearer for the House of Assembly, for Ado state constituency, Prince Oriri Richard, has condemned the heinous attack on the Ezza Community in Okpobla, Apa Ward in Ado local government area of Benue State, on Monday, November 7, 2022.
Richard, in a statement forwarded to journalists in Abuja, described the attack as inhuman, barbaric, archaic, and unjustifiable, and that any anger that can lead to the destruction of lives and properties is against God and must be condemned strongly in its entirety.
He said he immediately contacted the DSS representative in Ado over the attack, calling on all relevant government agencies in Benue and Ebonyi States to be proactive in resolving the lingering crisis between Effium Community and Ezza who live within the boundary areas.
“This is a conflict that has lasted for more than a year now, claiming many lives and hundreds of millions of properties destroyed in the process,” he said.
Richard said he is worried over the crisis that has crippled the economic, social, and political endeavours of the people, charged governments on both sides of Benue and Ebonyi state, as a matter of urgency, activate what he called, “a Third-Party diplomatic approach of mediation” to resolving the conflict for permanent peace to return to the area.
He blamed the lingering crisis on a sharp disconnect between those in government and the communities they represent which has denied them concrete security information available at the grassroots.
Richard, who said he was disturbed by the suffering and pains the affected communities are passing through, demanded an urgent platform for negotiation, where disputants in the crisis would lay down their demands for discussion and then a subsequent resolution that may be long lasting be reached through written or unwritten agreements which would be signed or adopted by both parties.
He said the same strategy applied in Ijigban, resulting in permanent peace between Effiums and the Ezzas Communities in the District.
“So far, the recent attack on Ezza Okpobla Community has claimed 21 lives, mostly children and women. Out of the 21 innocent Nigerians of Ezza origin killed, Chief Igwe Anyigor lost nine of his family members out of the 12 persons killed in his Compound to the attack.
“While nine others were killed at different locations in the Community. In all, three men, six women, and 12 children lost their lives in the dastardly act committed by the assailants while five others are still missing,” he said.
He pleaded with the aggrieved Parties in the crisis to shield their sword and embrace peace as the Ado people cannot continue to accept this kind of unimaginable attack on our people.
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