Community Strife Claims One In Udi

One person was brutally killed  while several houses were burnt in a communal violence between Umuoka and Affa communities in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The two communities had engaged in a prolonged boundary dispute, but it got to a boiling point at the weekend when they took up arms against each other.

It was leant that the immediate cause of violence was the establishment of an asphalt plant in the disputed land by an indigenous engineering firm, Cosmas Nigeria Limited, which was linked to one Cosmas Agu.

Sources told The Tide that the company used a development area administrator in collaboration with Umuoka community to gain entrance into the disputed land, in defiance of claims by Affa community to the land.

It was also gathered that the administrator, who was allegedly acting out a script by the engineering firm, went and removed a signpost on the disputed land with the inscription, “Welcome to Affa.”

The action reportedly angered Affa youths, who immediately mobilised and sacked everybody at the site of the asphalt plant.

Our source disclosed that the aggrieved youths were about setting the plant on fire when a detachment of armed mobile policemen moved in on the orders of the state’s Commissioner of Police and stopped them.

The policemen reportedly dispersed the mob and cordoned off the asphalt plant.

The intervention of the police could not, however, stop a reprisal attack on Affa community by the youth of Umuoko, who saw the attempt to burn the asphalt plant as an affront to them

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the reprisal attack claimed one life from the Affa camp.

The victim, a man, is yet to be identified, but it was learnt that his killers dropped a note beside his corpse on cardboard paper, warning Affa people to stay away from the disputed land or risk more killings.

His remain had since been deposited in a morgue at Ninth Mile corner, near Enugu.

As at time of going to press, several houses had reportedly been razed on both sides, heightening tension in the area and even neighbourhood communities.

The Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraigu confirmed the communal clash between Umuoka and Affa communities in Udi and the casualty.

Outgoing chairman of Udi Local Government, Walter Oji, regretted the incident, saying he did everything possible to resolve the land dispute before violence broke out between the communities.

According to him, he summoned the leaders of the two communities to hear their sides of the story and directed his deputy, who is chairman of the Boundary Committee in the council to look into the matter.