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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The people of the Ihetutu community in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State are mourning the killing of two youths in the area, allegedly by soldiers attached to a mining firm, palladium mining company.
The victims, identified as Chibuike Elema, 18, and Obinna Gideon Akandu, 20, were allegedly shot dead last Sunday while returning from work and a farm, respectively, in circumstances that have sparked outrage and renewed calls for an impartial investigation.
The incident has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, with the victims’ families and community leaders alleging that the soldiers demanded money from the youths for security purposes before opening fire on them.
According to accounts provided by the families, the victims were shot after allegedly telling the soldiers that they had no money to give them.
The families and residents have called on the state government and security authorities to investigate the incident, ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice and prevent further alleged intimidation of residents by security operatives.
Narrating the circumstances surrounding his son’s death, Donatus Okoro, father of Chibuike Elema, said the 18-year-old had been called from home, on Sunday morning, to join other workers at the mining site.
He said witnesses told him that his son and his friend and neighbour were returning from work when soldiers attached to the mining company allegedly stopped them and demanded money.
“My son was called from the house this morning to come and join them for Sunday work. While coming back along the road, according to people who witnessed what happened, the soldiers attached to a mining company called Palladium asked them to settle them.
“But they told the soldiers that they were not with anything. The soldiers raised their guns and shot them in the head,” Okoro alleged.
The second victim, Obinna Gideon Akandu, was the son of a serving councillor representing the Ihetutu community in Ivo LGA and a second-year student of Economics at the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. His father, Joshua Akandu, described the killing as painful, insisting that his son was innocent.
He said Obinna had returned to the community on Friday afternoon, after his examinations were postponed and went to the farm on Sunday before he was allegedly shot while returning.
“My son was innocent. He just went to the farm, and while coming back, they shot him on the road,” Akandu said.
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The Chairman of Ivo LGA, Michael Anyim, said the community had maintained a peaceful relationship with soldiers deployed to the area before the incident.
He, however, described the killing as unwarranted and unnecessary, appealing to aggrieved youths to refrain from attacks, arson, and the destruction of the mining company’s property.
Anyim assured the community that the local government would work with the state government and the Nigerian Army to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
Investigation indicated that Palladium Mining Company was putting measures in place to cushion the impact of the incident and restore peace in the affected community.
The company was said to have initiated a humanitarian process to reach out to the bereaved families and the wider community in a bid to ease tensions and preserve its longstanding relationship with the host community.
The reported initiative comes amid growing demands by residents for accountability over the deaths and measures to prevent a recurrence.
The Ebonyi State Government has also condemned the killing and announced the sealing of the mining company pending the restoration of peace and the pursuit of justice for the deceased.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who condemned the incident during a visit to the community, described the killings as tragic and regrettable, urging youths to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding.
Represented by the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Chinedum Nkah, the governor disclosed that the soldier allegedly involved in the incident had been taken into custody, while a full investigation had commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Contacted on phone, the Commanding Officer of the Nkwagu Military Cantonment, 24 Support Engineer Regiment, Abakaliki, Lieutenant Colonel Ikenna Emmanuel Chielo, confirmed that military personnel had visited the scene and that investigations were ongoing.
“We were at the scene today. Investigation is ongoing. Let’s be patient to get the full details,” he said.
As the bereaved families continue to mourn their loved ones, residents are calling for a transparent investigation, justice for the victims, and concrete steps to restore confidence between the community, the mining company and security operatives.
