Youths from Nsugbe Community in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday, besieged the Anambra State Government House in Awka, in protest over the gruesome murder of two youths from the community, allegedly by the neighbouring Umueri Community.
The murder of the two youths occurred at Monastery Junction, Nsugbe last Wednesday, sparking protest in the community by the people, who were shocked at the invasion by their neighbours.
Our correspondent gathered that following the protest, the State Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, had invited the two communities for a meeting at the State Government House, Awka, which was attended by community and youth leaders of Nsugbe, but the President-General and youth leader of Umueri were absent.
At the meeting, the deputy governor directed both parties to refrain from any encroachment on the land until further demarcation efforts are made.
However, after the meeting, the Umueri Community proceeded to erect a billboard on the boundary, signposting their community.
This had infuriated the State Deputy Governor, who led a team comprising security operatives and government officials to the boundary and they dismantled the billboard, and moved them to Awka, the State Capital.
On Tuesday, the protesters, who bore placards with various inscriptions such as‘justice for the gruesome murder/assassination of our brothers by Umueri’, ‘Save our land and our lives’, ‘justice for dozie and chukwura’, among others, chanted protest songs, calling on the state government to wade into the issue of boundary between both communities, to avoid a repeat of such incident.
Speaking during the protest, the leader of the protesters, Johnpaul Mozie narrated how the two youths Chukwurah Nweze and Prince Gozie Anyansi were murdered.
“On the 22nd of November, our peace-loving community was invaded by these people from Umueri and they gruesomely murdered two of our people because of land boundary issues, according to them.
“But, what we are saying is that we are not fighting with them. We are not carrying arms. All we are asking for is justice for these slain youths, for government to intervene to avoid further bloodshed,” he said.
Mozie also harped on the need for the State Government to take urgent steps to formally demarcate the boundaries between the two communities.
“It’s been over a decade this boundary issue has been ongoing but we are shocked that this could happen, without any form of provocation.
“People were on their own and they were murdered just like that! Government needs to immediately take actionable steps to arrest this situation,” he pleaded.
The Chairman of Nsugbe Youths Assembly, Engr Chidi Obiudu, who came to oversee the protest and ensure that the angered youths do not take laws into their hands, noted that it has become difficult to control the youths, given that no action has been taken to give justice to the murdered persons.
“I was at my workplace when I heard that my youths are in Awka for this protest, so I came to be with them and ensure that the protest is done peacefully.
“While I do not want to delve into boundary issues because there is a government commission responsible for that, all I am concerned about is the murder of two innocent youths from my community.
“Nobody has any right to take lives. If there are land issues, there are lawful ways to go about them and not to resort to killing people. That is the real reason for this protest.
“So, what they came down here to seek is justice.
“Because for something like this to happen since last week Wednesday, reports have been made to relevant quarters and no sign of security agencies on ground to protect them, no sign of efforts towards fishing out the culprits, no arrests yet, it doesn’t make sense.
“Trying to calm the youths down without them seeing any tangible action or solution to their problem, is no longer working and that is why the youths are angered.
“So, what we are seeking for is justice for these two that were murdered gruesomely,” he stressed.
Commending the state government for its intervention so far, Engr Obiudu insisted that his people needs more especially in ensuring that those who perpetrated the murder are brought to face the law.
According to him, the corpses of the slain youths are lying at the mortuary with no autopsy done yet.
Addressing the protesters, the Chief Security Officer of the Government House, SP Kingsley Nkuma commended them for being peaceful and assured them that government will look into the matter and ensure justice for them.
He also advised them to ensure that their complaints are forwarded to the security agencies for appropriate investigation to be done, saying that only then will the state government be able to fully intervene.
