Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Eight people have been killed in renewed hostility between Ndiagu Alike community in Ikwo Local Government Area and Enyibichiri community, in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The attack, Daily Sun gathered, took place last Saturday, along the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Road, near the border between the two communities.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Loveth Odah, said six out of the eight victims were returning to Ikwo, from Abakaliki, before the warlords opened fire on them.
She said while the said five were of the same family, two others were killed by bullet wounds they sustained from the attacks.
Ovah narrated that a mini bus conveying the six was already close to the warriors before the driver noticed what was going on and while making effort to reverse and return to Abakaliki, his vehicle fell into the ditch.
She said that bullets hit the fuel tank of the vehicle and the mini bus burst into flames. She said that almost all the occupants were burnt beyond recognition except the driver who escaped with gunshot injuries but eventually died in the hospital.
The PPRO added that one of the victims was a wife of a police officer serving in the state but was on secondment to Borno State where he is fighting against insurgency in the North East.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Border Peace and Internal Security, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, said some occupants of the other cars behind the burnt bus were also injured by stray bullets.
“They are receiving treatment in hospital in Abakaliki”, he said.
Ugbala also said government has deployed more security operatives to the area, to restore normalcy, and wondered why a land dispute would spill into markets and road very far from the where the disputed land is located. He said the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, would visit the place, to ascertain the level of damage.