A communal clash between Ndieguzu Agalegu Omege and Ukwu Inyima communities in the Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has claim one life and left houses worth million of naira raze down.
According a statement issued by the Ebonyi state police command on Monday, the fight which took place over the weekend between two youths from the two above mentioned communities started with a mere disagreement before one got stabbed to death, escalating the fight.
The person that was stabbed hails from Ukwu Inyima community, he was rushed to hospital but could not survive the injury. The incident triggered the youths of the communities who vowed for revenge to attack Omege community, burning down some mud houses with thatch roofs and destroying other valuable in the community.
However, the police were swiftly alerted and with their intervention, normalcy is said to have been restored in both communities.
The spokesman of the Ebonyi State Police Command Joshua Ukandu said that the police mobilised and stopped them from inflicting further damage, noting that normalcy has returned as the suspect who stabbed the victim to death has been arrested.
“His death led to members of his community attacking Omege and burning down some mud houses with thatch roofs.
“But Police mobilised and stopped them from inflicting further damage. The crisis has been curtailed at the moment. Meanwhile, police have arrested the suspect who stabbed the victim to death, and investigation is ongoing to unravel the root cause of the clash”.
Delving into the case more thoroughly, it was revealed that the crisis escalated as a result of a fight that happened in November 2024, after the burial of a woman who was raped and killed by some unknown persons. This incident has since triggered lots of misunderstanding between members of the two communities.
According to reports, this has led to more than 10 houses and properties worth millions of naira being burnt to ashes. Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State government have reinstated their commitment to addressing the situation.
The Commissioner for Information Jude Chikadibia-Okpor noted that it was a misunderstanding between two youths from the villages that degenerated into a free-for-all fight and resulted in the unfortunate incident.
“It was a misunderstanding between two youths from the villages you mentioned that degenerated into a free-for-all fight and resulted in the unfortunate incident,” he said. “However, it has been brought under control.”
