Following the recent killings and destruction of properties in an Ebonyi community, the state police commissioner, Aliyu Garba, has arrested the chairman of Ohaukwu local government area, Clement Odah and the lawmaker representing Ohaukwu North state constituency, Chinedu Awọ.
The Nation reports that no fewer than 30 other major stakeholders from the community, including coordinator of Effium Development Centre, Sunday Agbo and his Effium South DC counterpart, Eucharia Ogwale, were also arrested.
OBSERVERS TIMES can authoritatively report that police also arrested a former chief press secretary to the governor and special assistant on market development, Emmanuel Uzor, as well as his counterpart in charge of parks development, Emmanuel Igwe.
The former lawmaker representing Ohaukwu North state constituency and Governor David Umahi’s special assistant on youth development, Frank Onwe, was also among those arrested.
The report said that the arrests were on the orders of the state deputy governor, Kelechi Igwe, adding that Igwe had invited the stakeholders and appointees to an emergency security meeting following the violence in the community on Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23.
The meeting, which took place at Old Government House, also had in attendance the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Anselm Neither, who is also from the community; Secretary to the State Government, Kenneth Ugba and commissioner for international security and conflict resolution, Stanley Okoro Emegha.
According to the report, at around 10 am, about 10 vans entered the compound from the Police Headquarters across the road.
The police officers in the vans reportedly alighted and quickly surrounded the building where the meeting was taking place.
The commissioner of police was said to have opened the door and ordered policemen to take the invitees away, except the chief judge.
It was gathered that violence had erupted in the community on Friday and continued on Saturday leading to deaths of many beers of the community.
The police had on Saturday said at least seven persons have been killed in the violence so far while over nine others have been injured.
OBSERVERS TIMES recall that the Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora (AESID) declared that it is worried about the spate of insecurity in Ebonyi state.
It was reported that AESID said it is deeply worried that the political actors have continued to heat up the polity by dispensing mindless violence, killing and maiming innocent and helpless Ebonyians particularly those in opposition parties.