Peace Returns to Warring Ebonyi Community

Normalcy has returned in Ezillo community of Ishielu lo­cal government area in Ebonyi State, following government’s directive that anyone staying in the disputed land should vacate within 24-hours, and warning that defaulters would be treated as criminals.

Fear and apprehension gripped the people after reports of fresh hostilities in the area at the week­end, as human and vehicular movements were halted for three days, with the popular Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway blocked by irate youths, while motorists diverted to alternative roads to continue their journeys.

Ezza detainees, who had been in prison custody for over one year and were released last week, allegedly returned to the disputed land, where they had lived for de­cades as settlers, when the Ezillo people became angry and began moves to protest their return to the land, which equally led to ten­sion in the community.

As the furore continued, the state government, through the Deputy Governor and Governor-elect, Chief Dave Umahi, sum­moned stakeholders of both Ezza and Ezillo to emergency meeting .