A group under the aegis of the Elders Council of Ebonyi (ECE) has condemned in the strongest terms the killings and destruction of property in Effium community, Ohaukwu local government area of the state.
The condemnation is contained in in a statement signed by Chief Ben Okah, its Acting chairman, and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki on Wednesday.
The Elders expressed their anger at the carnage and waste of sacred lives and spilling of human blood among Effium brothers and sisters who had lived peacefully together over the decades.
The forum, which commended the state government for its quick intervention in preventing the situation from further escalating into a communal conflict urged parties to the dispute to embrace peace by using dialogue to settle their differences.
“We urge the leaders of Effium community to embrace peace urgently and reunite in order to continue to benefit from the good governance in Ebonyi.
“The Council also commend the Government of Ebonyi under the leadership of Chief Dave Umahi for his quick, decisive and passionate interventional responses to control the disaster by providing enough security that brought the lawlessness under check.
“We also applaud the governor for immediately promising to offer relief materials to the victims of the crisis.
“We, the Elders Council of Ebonyi, hereby express our deep sympathy to the entire people of Effium community and all those who lost their beloved ones, friends and property.
“We stand by the government of Ebonyi at this trying moment trusting God for better days ahead,” the statement read.
Effium community last weekend was thrown into chaos following leadership tussle at the Effium Motor Park that later degenerated into fratricidal killings between the Ezza and Effium speaking people and destruction of property worth millions of Naira. (NAN)
