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Four people have been reportedly killed in a communal war between the people of Ukawu and Isinkwo communities, Onicha local government area of Ebonyi State and their corpses allegedly taken by their attackers.
The people of Ukawu community had on Tuesday, 18th January, went to a beach which has been causing dispute between the two communities to excavate sand which has been a source of livelihood to the communities and were allegedly attacked by the Isinkwo warriors.
After the attack, four people are yet to be accounted for.
According to a community source, the Ukawu people tried taking advantage of the sit-at-home, thinking that the area would be calm not knowing that their rivals had already laid ambush.
“When our people got to the beach, the Isinkwo people opened fire on us and we had to run for our lives. But on getting to our meeting point we discovered that four persons were missing.
“Some of us confirmed they saw when they were shot dead and their corpses taken away. The worse is that we were taking unawares. We didn’t go with gun because we never anticipated any attack. For sometime now the area has been calm”, the source stated.
One of the victims was later identified as Offor Ujebe, in his mid 30’s with three children and the last child is about 9months, while the identity of the other three victims were yet to be ascertained at the time of filling this report.
When contacted on phone, Ujebe’s wife who had already lost her voice, stated; “they just called me that I should start coming back to the village from Abakaliki, I left with my three children. On getting to the village now, they are telling me that my husband went to the beach were they normally work and there was an attack and they are yet to see him till now.”
JOURNALIST101 gathered that Ukawu people have already mobilized to Isinkwo to demand for the corpses of those killed and for possible reprisal.
When contacted, the police Spokesperson in the State, DSP Loveth Odah, said she’s not yet aware of the report, but was hopeful that before the day runs out she would get the signal.
