Enugu: There seems to be no end in sight to the intra communal killings going on in Akpawfu town made up of three autonomous communities: Obodo Uvuru, Isiagu and Ajame-Agu, in Nkanu East Local Government Area.
The hostilities came to a crises situation when on Friday, April 28, 2023, one Ugochukwu Onovo, an indigene of the town was murdered in cold blood by an unknown gang of assailants alleged to be loyal to the traditional ruler of Ajame Agu autonomous community, Igwe Christopher Nnamani.
Narrating the ordeal people of Akpawfu are going through to our reporter, Ms Theresa Nwede Nnaji who identified herself simply as a school teacher said Akpawfu people are going through untold hardship “because of someone that calls himself a traditional ruler”.
She continued, “Sometime on the 28th of April 2023 Ugochukwu Onovo was gruesomely murdered by a gang of people who I think are working with Igwe Christopher, and his corpse is currently deposited at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu.
“Maduabuchi Onovo was arrested by the same gang, dragged into the forest of Akpawfu and was given several matchet cuts and was about to be killed when misunderstanding broke out amongst the assailants and he used the opportunity to escape death and is in one the hospitals in Enugu.
“On the same day, Nnenna Onovo was abducted, given severe matchet cut stripped naked and thrown into the bush, only for her to regain consciousness and drag her self to safety where she met her son maduabuchi escaping, from the bush and both called for assistance and were taken to a hospital through a bush path to nearby Akpugo community.
“Akpawfu Community has been terrorized by the faceless group practicing criminal segregation and discrimination amongst their brothers calling them derogatory names, destroying homes, setting houses on fire, killing men and women, unleashing terror on the people and using brutal force to evict indigenes from their homes.
“Oga, since November 2022, when the present phase of the carnage started, it has divide the community into two major factions and this group is the ones championing the crusade and evicting our people from their ancestral homes in the three autonomous communities to which failing to be evicted will result to maiming, kidnapping or outright killing.
“Thi is the worst in Akpawfu town as the security breach it has caused is affecting our neighbouring communities. The gang went to Akpugo town and killed a young man who ran to the town for safety. People kidnapped by Christopher Nnamani and his group have not been found till date. My mother and I almost lost our lives to the same gang.
“Yesterday, Sunday, May 7, people in army uniform were seen at Obodo Uvuru arresting and whisking off indigenes of the town to unknown destination.
I am pleading with the authorities and well meaning individuals to come to the aid of Akpawfu town”, she said.
