ENSG donates relief materials to victims of inter-boundary clashes

Wed, Aug 8, 2018 | By publisher


Politics

NO fewer than 20 households, displaced by a boundary dispute in Ibite Olo in Ezeagu Local Government Enugu State, have been presented with relief materials by the state government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the community and their neighbours, Awba Ofemmili in Awka North Local Government, Anambra, had on April 17, 18, and 19, engaged in civil clashes over a disputed farm land.

The incident, which happened in the farm settlement, led to the killing of one person, destruction of property and displacement of about 20 households in Ibite Olo.

Mrs Nkechi Eneh, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), while donating the materials on Wednesday, said that the state government was miffed at the extent of destruction.

Eneh said that the Deputy Gov., Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, had shortly after the incident drawn the attention of SEMA to the clashes.

She said that the agency, at the instance of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, embarked on on-the-spot assessment of the destruction.

The executive secretary said that the agency, after its assessment, discovered that no fewer than 15 houses in the community were burnt, while one life was lost.

“The governor was touched and directed that this donation be made to cushion the effects of the loss.

These items, however, could not be commensurate with your loss,” she said.

Eneh said that the state government would take proactive steps to ensure that such incident did not occur again.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Local Government, Mr Chukwudi Ezinwa,  had said that the residents were surprised by the encroachment by their neighbours.

Ezinwa said that farmers in Ibite Olo, had prior to the incursion, been using the disputed area without any form of problem from the people of Awba Ofemmili.

He said that farmers in the area recorded huge loses worth millions of naira.

“The state government has decided that this will not happen again,” Ezinwa said.

One of the victims, Mr Monday Nweke, while recounting their ordeal during the clashes, said that the incident happened while they were on their farms.

Nweke said that he received a machete cut from the invaders and was, consequently, admitted in an hospital.

“All our farm produce, including bags of rice, beans, yams and processing machines, were all burnt,” he said.

Nweke said that they were appreciative of the intervention of the state government in donating the relief materials.

NAN reports that some of the items donated include bags of rice, beans, vegetable oil, confectionery, wrappers, roofing sheets and ceiling boards, among others. (NAN)

– Aug. 8, 2018 @ 15:15 GMT |

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