Heavy mourning has enveloped the people of Aku community in Igbo-Etiti local government area of Enugu state following the death of four youths who were allegedly murdered by Ikolo people, a neighbouring community.
Worst still, three are still missing while several others were injured with gun and matchet wounds.
Aku community raised the alarm in a save our soul call to security agencies and Enugu state government to rescue them from the hands of their assailants from Ikolo.
In a press briefing in Enugu over the incident, Aku General Assembly, (AGA), Aku Welfare Association Federated (AWAF) in conjunction with the Aku-Diewa Lawyers Forum (ADLAF) National and Aku Youth General Assembly asked the government to intervene and save them from the hands of Ikolo people.
The chairman of AGA, Engr. Innocent Okechukwu Dioke, represented by the National Chairman of ADLAF, Boniface Nnabuchi Ugwu, regretted the dastard act of criminality, terrorism and murder being unleashed on their citizens by the Ikolo community without cause or provocation.
Speaking in grief and pains, Ugwu said, “this press briefing is necessary because of the recent disappearance of three Aku youths suspected to have been kidnapped by Ikolo people on their way to seek traditional medical assistance from an Ikolo herbalist, coupled with organised/planned killing of four (4) Aku persons on search party for the missing three (3) persons and grievous gun shot/matchet injuries on Aku people by Ikolo people in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“This is an Emergency Press Conference by the Aku General Assembly (AGA) and Aku Welfare Association (AWAF) Federated in conjunction with the Aku-Diewa Lawyers Forum (ADLAF) National and the Aku Youths General Assembly over the recent incident of the disappearance, suspected kidnap, killing, inflicting of grivous bodily harm (gun shot injuries) by Ikolo people of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State of Nigeria.
“The Aku Community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State feels burdened to inform the world of a dastard act of criminality, terrorism and murder being unleashed on her citizens by the Ikolo Community of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State without cause or provocation.
“On the 1st day of August, 2024, in the evening hours, three young men from Aku, Frank Nnamdi Didigwu, Chibuike Nnadi and Obiora Dugwu went to a well known traditional herbalist from Ikolo to obtain herbal medicine for treatment of one of their mothers who was in a critical heath condition.
“By dying declaration information of one of the victims, on getting to the premises of the traditional herbalist, he put phone call to his sister’s phone, confirming that they have gotten to the residence of the herbalist and awaits their turn to receive attention.
“Shockingly, the three Aku boys (Youths) are yet to be seen or their whereabout known and their phones switched off.”
“When the three boys could not return or be found, the matter was immediately reported to the police and the Enugu State Government for their necessary action. Friends, family members and Aku Youths leadership believing that the missing Youths could still be found somewhere, went as a search party for the missing persons. Unfortunately, the search party was ambushed by armed Ikolo people and four out of them were shot and killed while scores of them sustained gunshot injuries.
“Recall that in 2016, the Ikolo Community unleashed a similar attack on the properties of Aku people and persons as well, wherein four Ikolo people were arrested by a team of police from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, prosecuted and subsequently convicted by the court.
“It is pertinent to note that on the 23rd day of May, 2024, the Aku General Assembly (AGA) earlier raised an alarm through Press Conference, warning and informing the world on the body language of Ikolo people to unleash unprovoked mayhem on Aku people.
“Therefore, we are calling on the law enforcement agents and the state to take note of this and come to the aid of Aku Community to protect lives and properties and arrest further degeneration of peace and ensure the rescue of the three missing Aku Youths and bring the culprits to book,” the community said.
When contacted, the spokesman of Enugu Police command, DSP, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident but said that the security agencies were deployed to the place to restore peace.
“The police and other security forces were deployed to the communities and normalcy has since been restored.”
The President General of Ikolo community, Mr. Jude Odo, who claimed to be in a meeting could not comment on the gory incident.
Hours later before filling the report, he was yet to return the call.
