Iziola village, in Ishieke Ndiebor, Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, is a good advertisement of backwardness and poverty. The community is far from Abakaliki, the capital of the state, as a trip to the place might take over three hours, given the deplorable roads there.

The area is a stone’s throw from Benue State and very close to Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Effium has been war-torn since 2021 following renewed skirmishes between Effium and Ezza Effium people, with many lives lost. Some policemen have also lost their lives there, while the whereabouts of a soldier on peacekeeping duty who was allegedly abducted by the warlords last October remain unknown.

To show the pathetic condition of Iziola residents, it is important to mention that the area lacks every amenity that makes life meaningful, including water, electricity and hospital. The only source of water in the village is a borehole that has broken down and remained unrepaired.

Ironically, Iziola people had been contributing money to repair the borehole, to no avail, making them resort to stagnant water from ponds for domestic uses.

Notwithstanding this pitiable situation, the people of the area engaged in leadership tussle in 2017, which metamorphosed to land dispute, with lives lost and several properties destroyed.

The crisis left the community desolate as many of its indigenes were banished, until recently when the state government intervened and facilitated their return to the community.

Government convoked a series of peace meetings with the warring parties, culminating in the final peace deal of December 16, 2023. So, on the historic occasion, over 400 indigenes who did not set their feet on Iziola soil for over six years returned to the village.

Some of the returnees were landlords before the crisis erupted resulting to their banishment but they returned as tenants in their own land.

They lost their means of livelihood to those that banished them; their houses, land, businesses and other things that enhanced life were confiscated by the community.

Daily Sun gathered that many of the returnees are starting life afresh as they are floating and battling for survival.

One of them, Oroke Ikechukwu, was shocked that he could not recognise his lands again when he came back from exile.

He told Daily Sun that various crops were planted on some of his lands and, when he asked who planted them, he was informed that it was the person who bought the land.

“I was very shocked when I went to one of my lands and saw crops everywhere, when the land was supposed to be lying fallow for the years that I hadn’t stepped into it because of my banishment.

“I quickly made inquiries and was told that it was sold to someone who cultivated the crops I saw on the land when I was in the exile. How can somebody buy land that belongs to me without my consent when I am the actual owner? This is land that my father gave me and I have been cultivating on it for a long time and even reserved it for any of my children, only for me to hear that it has been sold.

“I will not take this; government that brought us back to our community should do something about it by recovering all the properties we left behind when we were banished. This is very unfair and some of us can’t take it,” he said.

Another of the returnees, Michael Nwogha, alleged that he lost his house while in exile.

Distraught Nwogha said: “My house was destroyed during the crisis and I was among those they banished. When we were brought back to the community by the state government, I discovered that a structure had been erected on the place where my house that was destroyed during the crisis stood. I was told that it was one of the villagers that built the house.

“I can’t lose my property like this. I will follow it legitimately because we were appealed to by the government to maintain peace and we were also warned that government will not hesitate to deal with anyone who causes another crisis in the community. I believe that I will get back my property. For now, I have no house, I am living with my relative.”

One of the survivors of the crisis, Godwin Ugadu, whose younger brother, Daniel Ugadu, was reportedly burnt to ashes during the mayhem, appealed to the state government to warn those that were recently pardoned against instigating further trouble.

He alleged that some of them were not comfortable with the restoration of peace in the community and might cause fresh crisis.

He noted that returning to the community after their exile was not an issue but the threat that some of them were issuing to those they still perceived as their enemies even after government’s intervention.

“My brother was killed during the crisis and I have been urged to forgive and I have forgiven because there is nothing that can bring him back to life. We are talking about peace and some persons are still saying what can cause another crisis.

“Somebody called me on phone and told me that I will be killed the way my brother was killed. Can you imagine this type of call? How will you feel if you receive this type of call? I kept quiet because nobody will remain permanent in this world, we will all go one day.

“The problem now is those that have just returned to the community. The type of pressure they came in with is much and they should be warned against further trouble in the community because it seems that the people are not disposed to peace.

“I have personally accepted peace and let go what happened to me. I want peace to reign in this community,” Ugadu said.

One of the elders of the community, Nweke Godwin, also alleged that some of those recently pardoned were making utterances that could cause fresh crisis in the community.

He described what happened in the community as a taboo and called for true peace and reconciliation.

Nweke said: “Peace is the best in life and where there is peace there is progress. What are we struggling for in the community? What are we fighting for? You can see the destruction this crisis has caused us. This borehole is the only borehole we have and we have been contributing money to fix it since it got damaged.

“What happened in our community is a taboo, very big taboo. I am appealing to all those that just came back to the community to be calm and avoid trouble because what happened in our community is a bad thing, it is not a good thing. Nobody is a returnee in this village, we are all members of the community. But let us be in peace the way the community is now.

“Someone drove a motorcycle to my compound and angrily told me, ‘You can see that I am back to the community. I am fully back. You thought I would not return. So, I’m back.’ The person left after saying this and I asked a woman who was in my place that time about the person and she told me that it was Nwogha’s son.

“I said you see it, is it not someone that just came back to the community that is bold enough like this to tell me that he is back? So, this is the issue. Those who returned to the community should be cautioned because some of their actions and utterances can cause another crisis. Let the past be the past. No community that is known for trouble can get development.”

The road to restoring peace in the community was tortuous. It necessitated a series of meetings initiated by the Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Donatus Ilang.

Ilang noted that he held the peace meetings with the factions in line with Governor Francis Nwifuru’s directives, following a petition by one of the parties, led by Mr. Francis Nwibom, to his office.

He noted that the remote causes of the crisis included village/youth leadership tussle and land dispute, and pleaded with the people to forgive one another in love and embrace peace. He also noted that they were brothers and should not allow bitterness and rancour exist among them.

The commissioner called on those who lost their relatives and properties during the crisis to forgive and accept peace, praying that God would replenish them.

He directed the leadership and members of the village to reintegrate their brothers and sisters for permanent peace in the village, stressing that development thrives only where peace reigns.

He explained that what he has done in the community was in line with the policy thrust of the Gov. Nwifuru administration in the state, adding that his ministry was bringing peace to the grassroots.

Ilang implored the women and youths to be vanguards of peace in the area. He warned that the state government would not tolerate any person or group who would cause any problem in the area.

The commissioner directed that properties of those who were displaced should be released to them to pave way for permanent resolution of the crisis.

Addressing Iziola people in their community after the return of the exiles, the chairman of Ebonyi LGA, Augustine Uburu, warned that any member of the community, who caused another round of crisis in the area would have the government to contend with.

“Government has all the machinery. Just a phone call, you will see security agents that will flood this community and deal with anyone that causes further breakdown of law and order in the community.

“Land is what causes every crisis in Izzi clan. If anybody has been struggling or dragging land that doesn’t belong to him or her with another person, such a person should remove his hand from the land. If you have been cultivating on the land, go and harvest your crops and vacate the land immediately.

“There is no how a person that was banished from the community will be happy seeing that his land and other properties have been taken over.

“Don’t cultivate on the lands of those who were banished and were given to you; if you have not cultivated on them, don’t try it. Remove your hand from such lands and peacefully hand them over to the actual owners. If you sold them, return the monies to those you sold the lands to.

“If these things are not adhered to and the crisis resurrects, I will hold the village head responsible. I will not only remove you as the village head, I will ensure that you suffer for it.

“I have noted your complaints that your borehole is not functional. I will send people that will come and fix the borehole immediately so that you will celebrate this yuletide with it.

“I will come back to this community three months after to know if peace is reigning. If peace reigns, I will grade your roads for you,” Uburu said.

In separate speeches, the village head, Godwin Ugadu, youth president, Nworu David, the women’s leader, Mrs. Felicia Anyigor, Raymond Nwogoshi, Comrade Oroke Michael Solomon, Francis Nwodom and other stakeholders of the community, applauded the state government for restoring peace in Iziola.

They all declared that they had embraced peace in the area, stressing that they were tired of the crisis and had longed to see its end. (Daily Sun)

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