Amidst the rising violence along the Ebonyi-Benue border, CP Adaku Uche-Anya, Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, presided over an emergency peace and security meeting that brought together top government officials, community leaders, and development coordinators.
The recent cross-border assault involving the prolonged Effium-Ezza conflict, which resulted in the death of at least eleven people, spurred the gathering.
At Tuesday’s high-level session at Police Headquarters, Abakaliki, state authorities, security agency representatives, and members of impacted communities discussed how to stabilise the border region, reduce communal tension, and prevent retaliation attacks.
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According to security briefings given during the summit, the incursions, which occurred in various regions of Benue State, resulted in the destruction of numerous homes and properties. The incident was described by insiders as organised.
The attackers might have come from the Akparata axis in Effium, according to preliminary intelligence, even though the attack was not within Ebonyi State’s authority.
The Ezza bloc’s dedication to the government-brokered truce was reaffirmed by Chief Chinedu Awo, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Power and Energy, who also confirmed the continuation of consultations at the grassroots and leadership levels.
Maintaining peace is our utmost priority. He assured them that their communities were following the order and that they would keep informing the security authorities of any comments or concerns they had.
Also discussed at length during the summit were worries about how quickly the once Effium land was being divided up into its new independent municipalities. The problem will be referred to relevant government authorities to expedite settlement, as guaranteed by CP Uche-Anya to the stakeholders.
Routine security briefings, stakeholder involvement, and partnership with the military and civil defence corps are some of the institutional initiatives that Mr. Moses Ogalegu, Coordinator of the Effium South Development Centre, has highlighted since his appointment as a structural intervention.
He said the administrative demarcation procedure was crucial to creating lasting peace and separation, and he praised Governor Francis Nwifuru for starting it.
Effium Community President-General Prince James Agena praised the meeting as all-encompassing and conciliation-oriented, highlighting the significance of harmonious coexistence.
Defending the demarcation gazette against diaspora players and social media disinformation, he emphasised the need for its immediate execution. In the lack of clearly defined borders, he went on to mention opportunistic crime, which includes things like looting and the unlawful cutting down of economic trees.
Similarly, Alioma Autonomous Community President-General Mr. Monday Eze echoed the Commissioner’s proactive actions while stressing that the conflict is still centred on incomplete delineation.
He pushed for a stronger security presence along the vast border and demanded that the administration announce firm dates for evacuation and resettlement.
Leader of the Ezza people in the Ezekuna-Alioma Autonomous group, High Chief Igboke Emmanuel, emphasised that his group will continue to adhere to the ceasefire, but he also voiced concern about targeted attacks, referencing previous occurrences like a beheading this past year. He pointed out that no one has been arrested despite signs that the identities of the culprits have been known to security officials.
Stakeholders have put forward three main proposals to restore peace in the area: speeding up the demarcation exercises, sending more police, soldiers, and civil defence workers to the scene, and investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the violence.
The situation remains volatile, despite the relative calm that has been experienced in recent months, including political and social activities within Effium.
Averting another cycle of communal carnage in one of the most sensitive conflict corridors in southeastern Nigeria requires prudence, institutional collaboration, and decisive security action, according to summit participants.
With security agencies now on heightened alert, focus has shifted to operationalising demarcation timelines, intelligence-driven enforcement, and coordinated inter-state security measures between Ebonyi and Benue authorities.