Ebonyi crisis: Amasiri community alleges extrajudicial

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

Indigenes of Amasiri community in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have decried the deployment of troops by the state government, claiming that the situation has heightened extrajudicial killings in the area.

They also complained that the closure of schools and imposition of curfew was unwarranted, as it was not in the favour of the people.

While addressing journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, an indigene of Amasiri community, Joy, condemned the killing spree and sought the intervention of international organisations.

“Prior to when the governor came, there were more than six cases of either killings of Amasiri people or kidnap of Amasiri people. And there were petitions written to this effect, government came, governments left.

“We are not wicked people. And there is also a need also for the establishment of an Amasiri joint Boundary Commission. And we are what our demands and our prayers are.

“One, we are asking that the army should leave Amasiri as soon as possible, because we are not in that war. Let them go to that boundary between Amasiri and Edda. Let them go and station themselves there. “Two, we are demanding that all our appointees and elected officials that the governor disbanded be reinstated.

I forgot to mention, after his declaration, on Saturday, they picked up three traditional rulers, two of them were arrested.

“The coordinator of the Amasiri development centre was also arrested. They’ve been in detention. What is their crime? We do not know. So, that is where we are. We also demand that they reopen the schools and that the governor should stop this witch hunting of students in Ebonyi State University and Amasiri indigenes,” she said.

He added: “The current governor came on board; nothing has been done about it. We were told that something would be done about it and we calmed down.

“All of you here know me. You have interacted with me one way or the other, and at no point have I ever exhibited actions or acts that will show me or portray me as a barbarian.

“But my governor went to a forum and declared my people as barbarians, the same people for which one of them was his professor and his lecturer in the school he attended. He was not a barbarian then.

“But, my people and I have suddenly been tagged barbarians. That is not all.

“We made a series of petitions. We went to court in 2023; the documentations are there and forwarded to everybody. Governor asked us to withdraw the document from court, so that we will receive justice.

“The elite of Amasiri fell for that up till today. We are in 2026 and the only thing we will see is that Amasiri Clan, one of the 64 development centres of Ebonyi State, on Tuesday, was delineated.

“So Amasiri has been erased from the map of Ebonyi State as we speak. We condemn the killing, because any life, irrespective of where the person comes from, is a life.”