Police prevent escalation of communal clash in Enugu

The Enugu State Police Command, on Thursday, prevented the escalation of a communal clash and loss of lives within Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement that police operatives on Thursday, November 23, 2017 prevented what would have resulted into “a full scale war and killings’’ between Ikolo and Aku communities in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area.

Amaraizu said that it was gathered that youths from both communities had allegedly engaged themselves in a conduct likely to cause the breach of peace in the morning of yesterday, November 23, 2017.

According to him, it was gathered that Ikolo youths destroyed some houses in Aku communities while youths in Aku equally destroyed some houses in Ikolo communities.

He said: “Sources disclosed that the issue revolves around land dispute between the two communities of Igbo-etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

“But for the timely and prompt intervention of the command led by the Area Commander Nsukka, Mr. Steve Yabanet and Divisional Police Officer of Igbo-etiti acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Danmallam, prevented its escalation, possible loss of lives and further destruction of properties.

“There was no loss of lives recorded even as the disruption of peace lasted for some hours’’.

The spokesman said that normalcy had been restored to the area as security had been already beefed up in the communities.

“However, the leaders of the communities including the youth leaders are being engaged for a lasting peace and resolution of the misunderstanding between the two communities,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Danmallam, has warned youths of the two communities to be law abiding and never take laws into their hands as “two wrongs can never make a right’’.

Moses Oyediran, Enugu