David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
There was crisis on Sunday in Nimo Community, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, following a clash by youth groups in the community during a youth empowerment programme.
Youths of the community, under Nimo Town Development Union, Youth Wing, had gathered at the village square for the programme, when members of a parallel body invaded the arena, carted away canopies, chairs and other items to be used for the event.
The group later went ahead with the empowerment exercise, which saw eight youths, two from each of the four quarters of Nimo being empowered with N250,000 to start up a skill.
The beneficiaries were Ugo Ngukor and Doms Ezeoke from Etiti-Nimo; Akunna Kingsley Chidi and Melody Fredrick Chukwuma from Ifite-enu; Uchenna Anyadiegwu and Ikejide John Paul from Egbengwu and Uchenna Edochie Fabian Ogbuabana from Ifiteani.
The group also launched its skill acquisition centre, which it said would impact meaningful skills like hair barbing, shoe making and others on the youths in batches, after which they would also receive empowerment.
The programme, however, ended abruptly when the irate youths appeared again and unleashed violence on all in the arena.
THISDAY gathered that the youths were protesting the alleged sales of a communal land by the leadership of the community.
“The leadership of the community, including the traditional ruler and the president general of the town union has tried all they could to pacify them, including inviting them for peace talks, but they have continued to make the town ungovernable,” a source said.
The President General of the Touth Wing of Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU), Mr. Gold Obiefuna, who spoke on the attack, said: “We don’t want to be lawless youths. We don’t want to fight dissident. What they are doing is not what Nimo people are known for.
“We don’t want to confront them because if we do, there would be a total breakdown of law and order, and probably, someone would have died. We do not want to be like them.
“Nimo is a peaceful town. We have just one Nimo, one youth body and one Owelle (monarch). The same programme they are disrupting is one that is meant to empower their fellow youths.”
