By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Police in Ebonyi State have discovered the body of a 53-year-old man who went missing during a boundary clash between two communities in Ebonyi State.

Spokesperson of the Police Loveth Odah stated this in a statement on Monday afternoon.

She gave the name of the victim as Joseph Isu.

News Express had reported how one person had gone missing and many others injured in the boundary dispute between Ezeke Amasiri community and neighbouring Amata Akphoha in Afikpo North local government area of the state.

Chairman of the Council, Obiageri Oko Enyim, had accused the people of Ezeke Amasiri of attacking their neighbors during a security meeting she convened recently.

Odah, in the statement, said the victim’s corpse was discovered in Amasiri River, in a cellophane bag with a heavy stone hung around his neck.

Her words: “You would recall that on 28th September, 2020 one Joseph Isu aged 53yrs was declared missing by the family after the attack on Amata Akpoha people at the farmland by suspected Ezeke Amasiri Community over land/quarry ownership where about three (3) persons were also reported injured and were taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

“The search party organised by the Afikpo north Divisional Police Officer (DPO) on October 1 recovered the body of the said Mr. Joseph packaged in a cellophane bag with heavy stone hanged round his neck, with gunshot injury on his right leg and his stomach cut wide open.” The Ebonyi Police Spokesperson said the corpse has been deposited at Martha memorial Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State, CP Philip Sule Maku, who described the incident as barbaric and inhuman mourned and commensurated with the deceased family, the general public, especially the people of Amata Akpoha Community in Afikpo North LGA of the state.

“He urges them to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands as he has ordered full scale investigation into the matter with a view to arresting and prosecuting the assailants,” she said.

Odah said the CP while admonishing the residence of the State to always embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) instead of violence, called on anyone with useful information that will lead to the arrest of the culprits to contact the nearest police station.

The spokesperson quoted Maku as restating the Police commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the residents in the state.

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