Leadership Tussle: Many Injured, Properties Worth Millions Looted

Many indigenes of Ugboenyim, a border community between Ebonyi and Benue states, have been injured, while several others were displaced following a leadership Tussle that emanated in the community again.

The Ugboenyim community is an Izzi-speaking community that is anthropologically Ebonyi State and geographically in the Ado Local Government area of Benue State.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the power tussle dates back to 2006 which has claimed about 4 lives with properties worth millions destroyed.

A community source said that efforts had been made in the past to resolve the crisis, but the people had returned to trenches with many sustaining grievous canes, machetes and gunshot injuries when the two warring factions clashed.

Domestic animals, including goats, native cows and dogs, have also been looted in the unfortunate incident.

Some of those injured include Chukwuma Iboko, Bernard Ukpa and Nwofor Chukwuemeka.

In an interview, the victims alleged that they were attacked by those who call themselves Plan B club in the community and accused one Romanus Ishiali, who they said is the leader of the group and the mastermind of the attack.

They explained that they were tied up like criminals and flogged with canes and matches on the ground and that they didn’t participate in communal work in the community when, according to them, there was no such work in the area.

Chief Omogo Ijere, village head of the community, alleged that members of the Plan B club in the area have been terrorising the people, attacking, maiming them and looting their properties, which forced him to report their actions to the police in Igumali, Benue State.

“When I was coming back after reporting the matter, I was called by one of my children and warned not to return to our place, that this Plan B club people have blocked our community and are very armed”, he stated

When contacted, Mr Romanus Ishiali denied all the allegations against him and accused Chief Omogo Ijere’s faction of being responsible for the looting of domestic animals and properties and forcefully harvesting yams and other people’s crops in the community.

He accused Senate Deputy Chief Whip Onyekachi Nwebonyi of sponsoring the faction and alleged that he and some community members had been sacked.

Nwebonyi, in his reaction, said Romanus Ishiali and members of his plan B group committed a lot of crimes in the community and that the police were after them.

“They committed a lot of crimes, maiming some members of the community and stealing their properties, and the police are after them.

“So, they are trying to divert attention by accusing me of sponsoring the crisis.