IPOB leader’s community groups take dispute to governor Ikpeazu

Rep seeks deployment of soldiers to Abia, C’River boundary over clashes

Two groups in Isiama Afara Ukwu Community, Umuahia North Council Area of Abia State have appealed to Governor Okezie Ikeazu to intervene in the leadership dispute between them.

Isiama Afara Ukwu Community is the hometown of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who a party in the dispute accused of meddling in community affairs.

The dispute had been between President General (PG) of the community, Chief Ikechukwu Ndubueze and a group led by immediate past Vice Transition Chairman of Umuahia North Council Area, Hon. Eze Okwulehie, who he (Ndubueze) accused of leading a parallel leadership in the community.

During a peaceful demonstration to Government House, Umuahia to solicit Ikpeazu’s intervention, Ndubueze said due to his stance on the alleged sale of community land by the Okwulehie group, its members have been intimidating and terrorising the community with security agents.

He also said Okwulehie had accused him and others of being members of IPOB, adding that the dispute has affected the completion of the community road, which he described as very dear to the community.

However, two days before Ndubueze led his people on the protest to Governor Ikpeazu’s office, Okwulehie had accused Nnamdi Kanu whose, late father, Eze Israel Kanu was the community’s traditional ruler, of interfering in its affairs and scaring people from living and investing in the community, as well as forcing him (Okwulehie) to join IPOB.

Okwulehie lamented that scaring investors from the community had ruined his businesses hence he urged the IPOB leader to face his quest for the Biafra Republic and distance himself from community affairs.

Addressing the protesters, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chris Ezem, assured that government would investigate the matter and do the needful, warning that it would also deal decisively with any breach of peace in the community and promised to complete the road project.

Meanwhile, representative of Arochukwu/Ohafia federal constituency, Chief Uko Ndukwe Nkole, has expressed concern over the loss of lives to border clashes between Isu Community in Arochukwu Council Area of Abia State and their Biase neighbours in Cross River State.

He said he had moved a motion in the House of Representatives, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently deploy soldiers to the boundary communities to forestall further killings and restore peace and order.

Secretary-General of Isu Community, Amarachi Kalu, disclosed that the clashes had claimed 35 lives and over 2,000 of their family members rendered homeless from April 2018 to date.