Ebonyi boundary crisis: 4 alleged severed heads yet to be recovered

2026-03-18 - 00:43

...Security operatives discovered shallow graves, mutilated bodies ...32 suspects arrested, arraigned, remanded ...Nwifuru orders destruction of shrines, deities in Amasiri; constitute land demarcation committee ....Distributes N70m, zinc, rice to deceaseds’ families By Jeff Agbodo JANUARY 29, 2026, was a black day in Okporojo in Oso-Edda community, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. A boundary dispute between them and their Amasiri neighbours, Afikpo Council, escalated to a ‘war’ situation. Four persons were killed, and their heads severed, reportedly taken away, allegedly by Amasiri warlords. Houses were set ablaze. The magnitude of the crisis, killings, and destruction angered the government. Governor Francis Nwifuru promptly directed security agents to move in and quell the atrocity and restore calm in the area. The governor followed up with a fact-finding visit to the area. Livid with the killings and the level of destruction, the governor directed security agencies to ensure that the alleged severed four heads were recovered. From reports available, the severed heads have yet to be recovered. He visited the scene of the incident and announced the sack of all the political officers, traditional rulers, town Union and village heads/leaders from Amasiri, which still remained in force till that day. He also directed the State Assembly to repeal the law establishing the Amasiri Development Centre and deleted it from the 64 development centres in the state. The governor initially imposed a curfew in Amasiri community from 2:00pm to 10:00am and recently relaxed it from 7:00pm to 6:00am. He said that schools, markets, and banks should remain closed for the safety of children and the vulnerable in the community. The governor later gave the Amasiri community 72 hours ultimatum to release the severed heads after an expanded State Security Council meeting attended by heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, elders, women leaders, and community stakeholders from the affected communities, but to no avail, the heads are still missing. In the course of investigation in the affected areas, the combined team of security operatives discovered multiple graves of mutilated bodies of those allegedly killed at Amasiri during the boundary war between Amasiri community and OkporojÍ, Oso Edda community. The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations of 82 Division Nigerian Army, Lt. Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, who revealed this while reacting to allegations of militarisation of Amasiri community, said they were there to carry out the curfew declared by the governor and protect lives and property and not harass and intimidate the residents. According to him: “Credible intelligence has further revealed multiple sites where victims were buried, including adults and children. The discovery of these graves underscores the scale of the crimes committed and the necessity of a robust security presence to dismantle criminal networks and prevent further violence. “Troops were deployed as a direct response to the gruesome killings and beheadings of four individuals in Okporojo village, Edda LGA, and subsequent discoveries of shallow graves containing mutilated bodies in Amasiri. These atrocities demanded urgent intervention to restore peace, protect innocent lives, and bring perpetrators to justice,” Ayeni said. The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO SP Joshua Ukandu said that a total of 32 suspects were arrested, charged to court and remanded in prison facilities, including the coordinator of the development Centre. “No head has been found, but the investigation still continues as 32 suspects arrested in connection to the killings were arraigned and remanded in prison facilities.” Also, the villagers alleged that one of the suspects in detention was tortured to death, an allegation police immediately denied, saying that nobody died in their custody. They also alleged high-handedness on the part of the security operatives enforcing the curfew to the extent that pregnant women were not allowed to go to hospital to deliver. They claimed that a woman who was refused admission to the hospital to deliver her baby was forced to deliver at home and died of bleeding, and the baby also died. However, Governor Nwifuru, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the recent security meeting, directed that all the shrines and deities in the Amasiri clan be destroyed and mandated that the stakeholders of the area show the Government and security agencies the locations of the shrines in the area. The expanded security council meeting was held at the Old Government House, Abakaliki, attended by heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, Elder’s Council and stakeholders of Okporojo, Amasiri, Akpoha and Afikpo communities. Nwifuru also constituted a 19 -member committee to carry out the demarcation of the disputed boundary between Okporojo and Amasiri communities. “The Council has also directed that all the shrines and deities in Amasiri clan be destroyed, and stakeholders of the area are under an obligation to show the state government and security agencies the locations of the shrines,” the governor said. The governor said the demarcation has become expedient since the two parties had signed an agreement to that effect. The committee is headed by the state Commissioner for Border and Conflict Resolution, Prof. Paul Nwobashi and Chief Sunday Oyibe is to serve as the Secretary. According to the governor, the Council also resolved that the curfew imposed on Amasiri community should remain in force until the severed heads of the victims of the Okporojo killings are recovered. The governor previously announced the relaxation of the curfew imposed on Amasiri community, saying that the curfew is now from 6:00am to 7:00pm daily and is being considered to reopen schools for the sake of innocent children of Amasiri community. He urged the police to charge to court those arrested in respect to the crisis in the area. The governor said that more stringent measures will be taken to ensure that those severed heads are released and peace returns in the crisis area. “At the meeting, the Council reviewed the curfew earlier imposed on the Amasiri autonomous community. After careful deliberation and consideration of ongoing investigations, as well as progress made by security agencies, the Council adjusted the curfew to run from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. “The Council deliberated on key measures required to restore total normalcy to Amasiri and Okorojo communities. It was resolved that urgent steps must be taken to demonstrate government’s commitment to protecting lives and property. “The Council further agreed that all persons arrested in connection with the crisis between the affected communities should be charged in court without delay, rather than remaining in police custody. “It also emphasised the need to recover the remains of those killed during the violence, noting that additional measures would be put in place to achieve this. “Under the law, every suspect remains innocent until proven guilty by a court of law, despite confessional statements obtained from some of those arrested. “The Council stated that significant progress has been made by security agencies, resulting in relative peace in the affected areas. “The Council maintained that the curfew and other measures were imposed strictly to maintain law and order and to protect lives and property. It added that without these interventions, the crisis could have escalated into a wider communal conflict,” Nwifuru stated. The Ebonyi State Government, through the Ministry of Human Capital Development and Monitoring last week distributed N70 million to the deceased victims of the Okporojo crisis. The Commissioner for Human Capital Development, Mrs. Ann Aligwe, said that the governor approved the money to the victims to amilotrate their sufferings. She said that other materials distributed to the victims include bags of rice, bundles of zinc and mattresses. The Chairman of Edda Local Government Area, Mr. Chima Ekumankama, at the ceremony said that normalcy and calm have returned to the Okporojo war-torn community. He said that the displaced villagers were returning to their places. Meanwhile, Amasiri and Edda communities seek lasting peace in reconciliatory visits to the former governor and minister of works, Senator David Umahi. The Amasiri and Edda communities took deliberate steps towards reconciliation by paying separate peace visits to Umahi on Sunday last week. The Amasiri delegation was led by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amadi Omaka, SAN, where they met with the Minister at his Abakaliki residence in the morning hours, while the Edda delegation, led by the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Ekumankama Chima, visited him later at his Uburu residence. A source at the meetings, Chief Agali Ebi, said though separate in schedule, both visits were united in purpose – to restore brotherhood and end the painful crisis that has strained the longstanding relationship between the two communities. He said Senator Umahi spoke not just as a political leader, but as a father deeply troubled by the loss of lives and destruction that have occurred. He described the visits as courageous and commendable, noting that peace begins when leaders are willing to sit, listen, and reflect. “With visible concern, he condemned in the strongest terms the violence and bloodshed, reminding both communities that Amasiri and Edda share more than borders — they share history, culture, political alignment, and generations of intertwined relationships”. Umahi expressed disbelief at the magnitude of the destruction, emphasising that no grievance should ever justify the taking of human life. He stressed that while governments and individuals may forgive in pursuit of peace, accountability before God remains supreme. “Acts of violence, he warned, carry consequences that extend beyond the immediate moment, affecting families and generations. His message was clear: peace is not weakness; it is responsibility.” The Minister urged both communities to view the decisions and interventions of the state government led by Governor Nwifuru, not through the lens of suspicion, but as sacrifices consciously made to give peace a genuine opportunity. “According to him, leadership sometimes requires difficult decisions, but such decisions must always aim at preserving lives and protecting the future”. Umahi cautioned against individuals who inflame tensions through misinformation and emotional manipulation, noting that crises should never be exploited for personal attention or social media relevance. “Such actions, he observed, only deepen wounds and delay healing”.