Amasiri Community Condemns Killing at Okporojo, Requests Governor Nwifuru to Lift Siege

Bennett Oghifo

Leaders of thought in Amasiri community have condemned the killing at Okporojo in Oso Edda, Ebonyi State and appealed the Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to lift the on-going siege on the Amasiri community in Afikpo local government area of the State.

They said the situation has made it very difficult for members of the community to eke out a living. They, however, strongly condemned the killing and asked the law enforcement agencies to fish out the culprits.
They were speaking at a press conference recently in Abuja, on the heels of the penalties handed down by Governor Nwifuru to the Amasiri community following the killing at Okporojo. These include but not limited to: the sack of all Government appointees –State Commissioners, Chairmen of Councils and Board members from Amasiri; Initiating the process of removing Amasiri as one of the 64 Development Centres in the State {the Ebonyi State House of Assembly made good this threat yesterday by disbanding, delisting Amasiri Development Centre from Law}; the dethronement of the two traditional rulers of Amasiri clan and dissolution of all groups and unions in Amasiri; imposition of a 20-hour curfew; closing down of schools and the directive by the Governor for the Chairmen of Ivo, Onicha and Ohaozarato to take over the administration of Amasiri.

Dr Joy Omagha, an indigene and newspaper publisher urged the governor to take the right course of action by empaneling an independent and impartial investigation into the killings and then arrest, prosecute and punish the actual perpetrators, no matter their community. She equally called on the governor “to immediately review and reverse the blanket sanctions imposed on innocent people.”
Also speaking, Comrade Idam-Ngwoke Emmanuel, South East Coordinator, Human Rights Guide Association, Nigeria, further lamented over the deployment of soldiers to their community, stressing that such action has led to arbitrary shooting and arrest of innocent people. He called on President Tinubu to immediately call for the withdrawal of the soldiers.

A public Interest and Human Rights Advocate from the community, M.O. Idam Esq., said the governor might have been misinformed before taking what he describes as “hasty actions.” He said the people of Amasiri community harboured no current grudges against the Oso dwellers and it was even the community (Amasiri) that championed the December 2025 peace accord against the wishes of their conflicting neighbours, pending the state government’s final resolution of the conflict.

While criticizing the governor’s conflict-management’s approach to the crisis, the lawyer said that the people of Amasiri community are presently unable to pursue their livelihood and now live in fear. He appealed to the National Security Adviser and Chief of Defence Staff to prevail upon the governor to refrain from deploying soldiers against the defenceless Amasiri community.

He called for the release of innocent indigenes unlawfully arrested in their homes or business places and appealed to the state governor to reverse his actions on the dismissal of state government appointees of Amasiri extraction and to promptly reinstate their traditional rulers.