Tension has gripped Oso Edda community in Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State following the gruesome beheading of a middle-aged farmer, identified as Mr. Dick Nnachi, by suspected warlords.
According to reports, the tragic incident occurred on Thursday on the victim’s farmland, with his severed head still missing as of press time.
The development has once again thrown the crisis-prone community into mourning. During the New Yam Festival celebration at Nguzu Edda Community Primary School, the Council Chairman, Hon. Chima Ekumankama, broke the news to the people and led a moment of silence in honour of the deceased.
Expressing deep grief, Ekumankama lamented the incessant killings in the area and threatened to resign from his position as chairman if the security situation is not urgently addressed.
“Sometimes I just feel like resigning to go back to my business because each time I see the blood of an Edda man dropped on the floor, it pains me. It makes me very uncomfortable and very sad,” he said.
“If there is any day you hear that I have resigned, know that this is the reason I have to resign. I am seriously pained, Your Excellency. Our people are being slaughtered, and each time they cry to me, I shed tears. Please, Your Excellency, do something.”
The chairman appealed to Governor Francis Nwifuru to establish a strong security presence in the troubled area, calling for the deployment of the army, police, and other agencies.
He warned that without urgent intervention, the bloodshed between Oso Edda and their Amasiri neighbours in Afikpo Local Government Area could spiral further out of control.
Governor Nwifuru, represented at the event by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Moses Odunwa, was urged to prioritize peacebuilding in the region.
Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, told Channels Television that security operatives had been deployed to the disputed zone.
He warned both communities against violating the buffer zone earlier established by government and security agencies.
The violent conflict between Oso Edda and Amasiri, which is rooted in a protracted land dispute, has claimed dozens of lives over the years.
Properties worth billions of naira have been destroyed despite repeated interventions by past and present administrations.
Community leaders continue to organize peace prayers and cleansing rituals, but the killings persist.
Residents fear that unless government action becomes more decisive, the crisis may escalate further.
The beheading of Mr. Nnachi is the latest in a string of bloody clashes, underscoring the urgency of sustainable peace and long-term conflict resolution measures in Ebonyi State.
