By Chuks Eke
A violent clash erupted in Umuduru village, Nsu autonomous community in Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State when irate youths from Umuopara village allegedly attacked Umuduru-Nsu people thus disrupting a planned N1 billion fund-raising event being held for community’s projects.
The bloody clash, according to sources, resulted in the death of one person, while several otgers sustained various degrees of injuries, just as properties estimated at billions of naira, including vehicles, houses, hotels and generators were either smashed or set ablaze.
The attack which occurred on Monday, December 30, 2024, resulted in the death of one Emmanuel Uwandu and wounding if many others, Including Chief Vitalis Onyeaguma while the the damaged properties, included residential buildings, hotels, vehicles, generators and bottled water distribution van.
An intervention of the police Imo state police command and the arrest of no fewer than 10 suspected attackers helped to douse tensions and restored normalcy.
However, tensions were said to remain high, with further acts of attacks from irrate Umuopara youths, including road ambush and burning of vehicles which occurred after the initial arrest of some of the culprits from Umuopara Nsu as many of them are said to be on the run bounced back shortly after the police left the area with the arrested suspects.
Community leaders, including the traditional ruler of Nsu, HRH Eze Iwunze, and the traditional prime minister (TPM) Chief Jonathan Edoziem, have called for restraints and ladviced advised Umuduru youths not to embark on a reprisal attack against Umuopara villagers so as to prevent further escalation of the crisis and pave the way for legal options.
An indigene of Umuduru village, Uzoma Nzeaka who spoke to newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra state yesterday, said the attackers invaded the victims at Central School Field opposite St. Lawrence Catholic church completely disrupting the occasion out of envy and hatred.
President-General of Umuduru-Nsu village, Chief Barr Sir Daniel Ijebuka Okoro who spoke to newsmen on phone, confirmed that after killing the deceased Uwandu and wounding others at the field, the attackers headed straight to his ultra-modern luxury hotel named Dancynth Travelers Suites located far away from the field and razed it down completely, burnt cars, one van used to distribute bottled water, 25KVA Lister, one double engine 12 KVA generator and another 9KVA generator.
He disclosed that the case was reported to Imo state Commissioner of Police who promptly referred the matter to the Commander of Tiger Base Squad for discreet investigations, which prompted the squad to arrest about 10 suspects for interrogations in connection with what he described as unprovoked murder and acts of terrorism.
He noted that after arresting Umuopara elders, on January 7, their youths went on a second rampage, snatching and burning diwn the vehicles of Umuduru indigenes who were traveling back to their various destinations after the Christmas holidays.
Okoro lamented that even after arresting the suspects in connection with the culpable homicide and wanton destruction of lives and properties, the rampaging Umuopara youths went into hiding from where they were still terrorizing Umuduru villagers up till date but himself and other Umuduru elders prevailed on their own Umuduru youths not to confront or enter into Umuopara labd to revenge to avoid open war.
He insisted that as at the time of filing this report, the entire Umuduru-Nsu community is still living in fears, stressing that it could have been worse had police from Tiger Base, Owerri not intervened and are carrying out the difficult task of installing law and order given the fact that nearby Central Police Station and Police Area Command, all in Orieagu, NSU had previously been burnt down by unknown persons, thus creating a state of lawlessness which Umuopara youths were now capitalising on to unleash mayhem on helpless Umuduru-Nsu people.
Barrister Okoro identified Emmanuel Chigozie Uwandu from Umuduru as the deceased having been shot by a man from Umuopara, while Vitalis Onyeaguma, a Lagos based business man was beaten to a state of unconsciousness, presumed dead but revived in a hospital and now in an Intensive Care Unit, ICU with a broken skull and bleeding through the nose.
Others who sustained various degrees of injuries on the side of Umuduru and currently hospitalized, according to the PG were, Nwokenkwo Christian, Nwokeorie Chibuike, Eze Onyeaguma, among others.
But in a swift reaction, the President-General of Umuopara Community , Mr Ferdinand Onukaogu told newsmen on phone that it was Umuduru people that started the fracas first by abandoning the Umuduru Nsu Community Secondary School Field where they had originally scheduled to hold the fund-raising ceremony, and chose to go to ‘Afor Umuopara Field’ to hold the event.
Onukaogu stated that the fracas started when the Umuopara youths went to the ‘Afor market field’ to stage a football competition only to spot Umuduru-Nsu people setting up canopies and chairs for their Fundraising event.
On the issue of burning down the big hotel owned by Umuduru PG, Onukaogu insisted that he was having a meeting with Umuopara stakeholders on that fateful day when the traditional ruler of Nsu autonomous community, HRH Eze Dr. Iwunze arrived Umuopara town hall, venue of their meeting with soldiers from Ehime Mbano and reported to them that there was fracas between the two village youths, adding that he was still at the meeting venue when he noticed a thick smoke coming out from the direction of the hotel, of which he cannot give account of how it was set ablaze and who did it.
On the alleged assault on the paramount traditional ruler of NSU by Umuopara youths, Onukaogu also noted that ‘because the royal father appeared on an informal dress, wearing trousers and T-shirt, some of the Umuopra youths who could not easily identify him, queried the rationale behind his decision to take sides on the matter.
When contacted, Imo state Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye told newsmen on phone that he would contact the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge if Ehime Mbano to verify and get back to journalists.
