By Amara Agha, Abakiliki
The Ebonyi State Government has ordered the destruction of all shrines and deities in Amasiri clan as part of measures to address the aftermath of the recent communal crisis between Amasiri and Okporojo communities in the state.
Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru gave the directive on Thursday shortly after an expanded State Security Council meeting held at the Old Government House in Abakaliki.
According to the governor, stakeholders in Amasiri community are under obligation to assist the state government and security agencies by identifying and revealing the locations of all shrines and deities within the clan.
The directive, he explained, forms part of decisions reached by the council in response to the killings recorded during the crisis between Amasiri and Okporojo communities.
Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru also announced that the curfew earlier imposed on Amasiri community would remain in force until the severed heads of the victims of the Okporojo killings are recovered.
He further disclosed that the state government has constituted a 19-member committee to carry out the demarcation of the disputed boundary between the two communities in order to prevent future conflicts.
The committee is headed by the State Commissioner for Border and Conflict Resolution, Prof. Paul Nwobashi, and includes the Surveyor General of the State, the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, the Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, and the Chairmen of the Traditional Rulers’ Councils across the thirteen local government areas.
Other members include Dr. Boniface Chima, while Chief Sunday Oyibe will serve as the secretary of the committee.
The expanded security meeting was attended by heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, members of the Elders’ Council, and stakeholders from Amasiri, Okporojo, Akpoha and Afikpo communities as part of efforts by the government to restore peace in the area.
