By Nkechinyere Ewa – Okpara
Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Emmanuel Ajah, has vowed that the council, in collaboration with security agencies, is taking decisive steps to dismantle criminal networks and militant camps believed to be behind renewed communal violence in parts of the council.
Ajah, who spoke to journalists on Tuesday in Abakaliki, decried the persistent cycle of killings, abductions, arson, and reprisal attacks in warring communities including Ezza-Ekembe, Ihe, and surrounding areas.
He lamented that innocent residents continue to bear the brunt of the clashes and warned against the growing culture of lawlessness.
“Nobody has the right to take a life. You cannot create a human being, so there is no reason to kill one because of land. Once you take the law into your hands, the law will hold you whether you are right or wrong,” he said.
The council chairman traced the escalation of violence to the activities of armed groups allegedly linked to a group of hoodlums, who he claimed were brought into the area under the guise of defending locals from Fulani herders.
Ajah recounted several tragic incidents, including the killing of a white expatriate, two police officers, and multiple residents.
He said these acts have heightened tensions and provoked retaliatory attacks among communities.
He revealed that security operatives have identified militant hideouts, particularly in the Ezza-Ekembe axis, and they would dislodge them.
Ajah added that the council has set up mediation committees to address landlord-tenant disputes that have been manipulated to stoke unrest.
Despite ongoing peace efforts, Ajah confirmed that attacks on farms and homes persist, citing the recent abduction and killing of a couple from Ishiagu Extension as a fresh blow to the fragile peace.
“The people committing these crimes often escape, leaving innocent persons to suffer. I am appealing to both sides to stop the killings. We must give peace a chance,” he pleaded.
Ajah said a high-level security meeting has been scheduled to discuss the status of missing persons, recover the remains of victims, and develop a sustainable roadmap to peace across the affected communities.