•Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State
Suspected hoodlums have burnt an excavator being used for boundary demarcation between the Abaomege and Ishinkwo communities, in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The Chairman of Onicha Local Government, Chief Ikechukwu Ogbofia, who spoke through the Public Relations Officer, Omekannaya Orogwu, confirmed the incident and described it as an act of sabotage. He emphasised, “No amount of threat or sabotage will stop the ongoing demarcation of the communities. To us as a government, this process will bring a permanent solution to the age-old conflict.”
He noted that one of the communities had issued a threat a week earlier, warning that they would destroy equipment if the demarcation did not align with their expectations.
The council chairman vowed to intensify the demarcation efforts and urged both communities to embrace peace.
A demarcation worker, Mr Nwankwo Chidiebere, explained that the excavator had malfunctioned on Monday, preventing its removal. It was subsequently set ablaze at night, even as arrangements for repairs were underway.
The two communities have been in conflict since 1912 over fertile land, resulting in numerous deaths and the destruction of property worth billions of naira.
Governor Francis Nwifuru established a committee to resolve the crisis, which issued a white paper recommending demarcation as a permanent solution.
The process began in February but suffered a setback when the excavator was burnt.
