80-year-old blind man burned, Anambra community takes on army
The crisis between the Anaku and Omor communities in Ayamelum Local Government Area in Anambra State has taken on a new dimension after an attack allegedly carried out by soldiers in revenge of their missing colleague.
Anaku and Omor communities have been embroiled in a land dispute.
The crisis erupted again within a week when six people were reportedly killed and six others abducted in Omor.
When reporters visited the community on Tuesday, many villagers had fled for fear of being killed.
While it's unclear how the soldiers got involved in the latest crisis, sources said one of the soldiers deployed to the area went missing, prompting his colleagues to launch a retaliatory attack .
A source in Anaku said on Friday that the community was littered with dead bodies, adding that many homes had been burned down.
He noted that five trucks loaded with soldiers had been patrolling the area since the beginning of the week.
The source said there were hardly any families unaffected by the latest arson attack in Anaku, adding that on Thursday many people were still packing their belongings out of the city.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'One of the community members was dragged out of his house and the house was set on fire. The town hall of Anaku was also set on fire. The entire community fled to Nando in Anambra East LGA, Awkuzu in Oyi LGA, while many ran to Onitsha. Many of our people now hang around the community squares of these communities.
“We thought the soldiers had come to make peace, but we found them burning our homes and property. All the men in the community fled. We just arrive in the village to harvest the cassava and leave.
"In fact, some houses are still burning and many people are packing up household goods they can salvage. There is fear everywhere. The whole community is deserted. The shrines have no nor were they spared, as many of them were set on fire. A woman was shot dead and her body was taken to her house and set on fire. She was still burning yesterday.
“A blind 80-year-old Egwuatu Nonyelu, who was a carpenter before he lost his sight, was shot dead in his house and set on fire. The Community Skills Center with all the equipment it contains has not been spared either. »
Another community member, Mr. Titus Izuogu, said, "I suspect the soldiers were brought in by our neighboring community, which has a land dispute with us."
Anambra State Police Command Spokesman DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said it was a military matter and he could not do comment on this.
Efforts to speak to the military spokesperson were unsuccessful as he did not take calls or respond to messages on his phone line.
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The crisis between the Anaku and Omor communities in Ayamelum Local Government Area in Anambra State has taken on a new dimension after an attack allegedly carried out by soldiers in revenge of their missing colleague.
Anaku and Omor communities have been embroiled in a land dispute.
The crisis erupted again within a week when six people were reportedly killed and six others abducted in Omor.
When reporters visited the community on Tuesday, many villagers had fled for fear of being killed.
While it's unclear how the soldiers got involved in the latest crisis, sources said one of the soldiers deployed to the area went missing, prompting his colleagues to launch a retaliatory attack .
A source in Anaku said on Friday that the community was littered with dead bodies, adding that many homes had been burned down.
He noted that five trucks loaded with soldiers had been patrolling the area since the beginning of the week.
The source said there were hardly any families unaffected by the latest arson attack in Anaku, adding that on Thursday many people were still packing their belongings out of the city.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'One of the community members was dragged out of his house and the house was set on fire. The town hall of Anaku was also set on fire. The entire community fled to Nando in Anambra East LGA, Awkuzu in Oyi LGA, while many ran to Onitsha. Many of our people now hang around the community squares of these communities.
“We thought the soldiers had come to make peace, but we found them burning our homes and property. All the men in the community fled. We just arrive in the village to harvest the cassava and leave.
"In fact, some houses are still burning and many people are packing up household goods they can salvage. There is fear everywhere. The whole community is deserted. The shrines have no nor were they spared, as many of them were set on fire. A woman was shot dead and her body was taken to her house and set on fire. She was still burning yesterday.
“A blind 80-year-old Egwuatu Nonyelu, who was a carpenter before he lost his sight, was shot dead in his house and set on fire. The Community Skills Center with all the equipment it contains has not been spared either. »
Another community member, Mr. Titus Izuogu, said, "I suspect the soldiers were brought in by our neighboring community, which has a land dispute with us."
Anambra State Police Command Spokesman DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said it was a military matter and he could not do comment on this.
Efforts to speak to the military spokesperson were unsuccessful as he did not take calls or respond to messages on his phone line.
Please share this story:
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