Police Commissioner Arrest Ebonyi Local Government Chairman, Lawmaker, Others

Also arrested were some 30 other major stakeholders from the community, including Coordinator of Effium Development Centre.

Clement Odah, the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local government area in Ebonyi State, has been arrested by the state Police Commissioner, Aliyu Garba on Sunday.

The lawmaker representing Ohaukwu North state Constituency, Chinedu Awọ was also arrested over the recent killings and destruction of properties in the community.

Also arrested were some 30 other major stakeholders from the community, including Coordinator of Effium Development Centre, Sunday Agbo and his Effium South DC Counterpart, Eucharia Ogwale.

A former Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and Special Assistant on Market Development, Emmanuel Uzor, as well as his counterpart in Charge of Parks Development, Emmanuel Igwe were also arrested.

The former lawmaker Representing Ohaukwu North state Constituency and Governor David Umahi’s Special Assistant on Youth Development, Frank Onwe was also among those arrested.

The arrests, it was learnt, were on the orders of the Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe.

Igwe had invited the stakeholders and appointees to an emergency security meeting following the violence in the community on Friday and Saturday.

The meeting, which took place at Old Government House, also had in attendance the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Anselm Neither, who is also from the community; Secretary to the state Government, Kenneth Ugba and Commissioner for International Security and Conflict Resolution, Stanley Okoro Emegha.

The invitees arrived the Executive Chambers of the Old Government House venue of the meeting at 9am and the meeting started with the Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Police in attendance.

At around 10am, about 10 vans entered the compound from the Police Headquarters across the road.

The Police officers in the vans alighted and quickly surrounded the building where the meeting was taking place.

Moments later, the Commissioner of Police opened the door and ordered policemen to take the invitees away, except the Chief Judge.

They were immediately taken to two waiting buses belonging to the Ministry of Internal Security from where they were driven to the State Police Headquarters building opposite the old Government House.

After their arrest, the CP, the Deputy Governor and other attendees entered their cars and left the venue.

At the time of this report, the Deputy Governor and the Commissioner of Police were said to be in Effium to assess the level of destruction.

Violence had erupted in the community on Friday and continued on Saturday leading to deaths of many beers of the community.

The Police on Saturday night said at least seven persons have been killed in the violence so far while over nine others have been injured.

Houses, cars and other properties worth millions were burnt and destroyed.

Members of the community have fled to unknown destinations.

Uzor told The Nation his House and houses of his relatives were also torched.

He said he was yet to establish contact with his aged parents since Saturday when the community was deserted.

Though details of what led to the clash were still sketchy at the time of filling this report, a source in the community said the clash is an escalation of a leadership crisis in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The source said the faction of the union made up of Effium indigenes of Korri extraction clashed with the faction made up of Effium indigenes of Ezra extraction at the park.

He said the clashes spilled into the community leading to casualties on both sides.