By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was a moment of ear-rending gunshots on Tuesday as some heavily armed men stormed Ebenator Community in Nnewi South Local Government Area and opened up fire in a bid to execute their mission.
The incident, according to sources, happened at a sand mining site (Ọfara Ime River) in the community, where some youths of the community were said to be selling out the heaps of sand they had dumped long ago, before the arrival of the armed men, who were reportedly loaded in about five vehicles, comprising a Hilux, a Bus, and three Sienna. It was gathered that majority of the armed men were dressed in black and covered their faces with masks.
Given the alarming incidents of gunmen attacks previously being experienced in the Nnewi South environs; it was gathered that, upon sighting these armed men driving down into the area in their vehicles (including Sienna which is a commonest type of vehicle used for operation by unknown gunmen in the area); the youths mistook them to be gunmen, and therefore took to their heels to flee the scene, out of fear and panic; while the armed men reportedly opened fire immediately and started shooting sporadically, probably to halt everyone.
In an interview with this reporter, an eyewitness, simply identified as Angus, said, in the process of the shooting, one of the community youths was dangerously hit by bullet. He said, after the armed men had succeeded in halting most of the people there, they eventually opened up that they were state government’s agents enforcing the government’s ban on sand mining.
Angus added that the armed also mercilessly brutalized the youths, hitting them with gun butt, after which they bundled some of the youths into their vehicles till there was no more space to accommodate more persons. He said the people also seized some tippers and motorcycles they saw at the site, and zoomed off with them, including the phones of the people they bundled into vehicles.
According to him, it was after the incident that he and some other persons came out from where they hid and rushed the person who was hit by bullet to hospital to save his life. He revealed that the victim, identified as Uzochukwu Okafor, who is also a son of the Women Leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nnewi South Local Government, is still in the hospital battling for his life, while the whereabouts of others remain unknown as at the time of the interview.
When asked if they had got any prior permission before resuming sand mining at the beach, Mr. Angus, who is an active member of the community, said it was the Local Government that gave them initial order to stop mining sand at the beach. He recalled that the Local Government warned that no mining should be done there again pending when a team (from the local government) would inspect the site, certify it conditionally fit for such operation, and authorize them to resume. These orders and processes, he said, were duly followed, till they got approval and go-ahead order from the Local Government few days ago to resume operation, and which they were doing before the armed men stormed. He also clarified that sand excavation at the site had ended long ago, and that the people were no longer excavating new sand from the water, but selling from the heaps of sand they dumped.
When contacted, the President-General of Ebenator Development Union, Mr. Chigozie Anadi, said he got the information in the late hours of Tuesday. He, however, revealed that he’s still making contacts to concerned authorities and relevant stakeholders, making more inquiries and investigation to get further clarifications about the incident.
Amidst the trend, however, some residents of Nnewi South have attributed the incident to what they described as a lingering discord and power tussle between two top government officials from the local government — the newly-elected local government Chairman, Hon. Van George Ezeogidi; and the State Commissioner for Environment, Engr. Felix Odimegwu who allegedly sent the armed men who went for the operation after hearing that the Local Government Chairman had certified and authorized the people to carry on with their mining activities at the site.
Many, however, wonder why the two political bigwigs who hail from Utuh and Ezinifite respectively would use another independent and peace-loving community as a battlefield to advance their alleged hostility; even as some others wonder why the two brothers who belong to the same political party and serve under the same state would even indulge in such thing that did not only put the lives of many Ebenator youths in danger, but has also added to the existing panic of insecurity in Nnewi South at large, where they both hail from.
“It’s quite unfortunate that two brothers from same political party, Hon. Van George Ezeogidi and Hon. Felix Odimegwu would have such an unwarranted fight that led to the shooting of a son of the Local Government… Please we need to stop these cabal stuffs especially in our LGA…
“Let’s do the fight outside our terrain and be declared a hero rather than coming back home to want to claim a hero!!! I am quite ashamed…… No one can be declared a hero for killing his or her sibling!!!!” a concerned fellow commented in reaction to the incident, tagging the said warring political figures.
“I dare the both of you Hon. Van George Ezeogidi and Hon. Felix Odimegwu to use same muscle, energy and power tussle/connect to attract projects to our LGA and not this bull shit that happened at Ebenator!!!
“We can’t continue to celebrate mediocrity!!! What would you advise your boys!!??? What are we fighting for? Government is Soldier come, soldier go, barrack remains… Government na una property!??? I am asking especially the person that sent the troops from Awka!!!
“Why not channel this same energy in securing our LGA??? Why would you decide to create unnecessary tension in our constituency!!…?? he added.
Efforts by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, to get the reactions of the Commissioner, Engr. Odimegwu, and the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Ezeogidi on the incident and the allegations proved abortive, as they both did not pick their calls or respond to messages of inquiries sent to them by the reporter, as at the time of this publication.
