Sophia Michaels
Residents of two out of three Akpawfu communities in the Nkanu East council area of Enugu State have raised an alarm over alleged killings and burning of houses of people labelled as outcasts.
The people were allegedly labelled by the traditional ruler of Ajame Ameze, Igwe Christopher Nnamani. Ajame Ameze is one of the autonomous communities in the state.
The monarch has denied the accusations, noting that he did not kill nor direct that anyone should be killed.
SaharaReporters reported on Tuesday that gunmen suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network from the community whom Nigerian soldiers identified and destroyed their houses and properties have declared war on residents believed to have assisted and provided security agencies with information about them.
It was reported that the gunmen had killed no fewer than four persons including the Palace Secretary, who was murdered on Sunday. Some others were also injured.
SaharaReporters also reported that the wife of the traditional ruler recently escaped death when the hoodlums, who had taken over the community, invaded the traditional ruler’s palace.
However, some people from the community while briefing journalists on Wednesday, denied that the gunmen killed by soldiers and policemen were ESN members and criminals. They instead accused the monarch of using his personal private armed men to terrorise the two autonomous communities of Ishiagu Akpawfu and Ajame Ameze.
Mr Felix Ani and Ikechukwu Udeh, in a joint address, said, “It is in the public domain that the Igwe had given those he alleged to be outcast up to December 2022 to vacate his community or face his hammer.
“Presently, it is on record that he is now burning the houses of those he labelled an outcast. And we are calling on the government of Enugu state and the state commissioner of police to as a matter of urgency come to our rescue by calling Igwe Christopher Nnamani to order and also make sure that he is brought to book for all these atrocious crimes he has committed against innocent people of his community.”
They alleged that Igwe Nnamani and cabinet members had gone into a deal of policing the localities with the militia wing of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a deal they said he couldn’t manage well.
“Instead of facing the matter they have with ESN and finding a way of sorting it
