SOME petitioners on Wednesday urged the Enugu State Government to engage top members of the Oruku Community in Nkanu East Local Government to resolve the crisis rocking the area.

The petitioners appeared before the Enugu State Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the killing of Oruku Community traditional ruler, Igwe Chidiebere Emmanuel Mba who was allegedly shot dead on Dec. 26.

They made the call at the state’s Judiciary Headquarters in Enugu during a public hearing of some of the memoranda received by the Commission on Mba’s murder.

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had set up the panel in January to investigate and ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the crisis.

Speaking after adopting his memoranda, one of the petitioners, Mr Sunday Ani, told the panel chaired by Justice Harold Eya, to call the community to order.

Ani noted that certain “top” stakeholders in the community whose names were contained in the memorandum he tendered before the Commission must be engaged by the state government.

On his part, the traditional ruler of the Umuode community, Igwe Moses Ibe, reiterated Ani’s call.

Counsel representing Umuode Community, Benjamin Chukwuemeka Nwobodo, urged the panel to invite the stakeholders cited by Ani in order to ensure that the Commission heard both sides of the story before reaching its conclusion.

Another petitioner, Dr Alford Iloamauzor, a retired Programme Officer with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) made a similar call during his hearing.

Iloamauzor explained that the panel must consult with the members of the community to be able to find the remote causes that led to the crisis.

In his reaction, the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Eya, pointed out that the panel was set up to achieve the same goal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mba was pronounced dead at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu after being allegedly shot by unidentified gunmen.

Aggrieved youths of the Oruku Community had protested against Mba’s murder following news of his death. (NAN)

– Feb. 25, 2021 @ 09:03 GMT