By CHARLES IWUOHA

It was tears and agony for the family of Mr Chijioke Ekpono of Agharaoza, in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State over the destruction of their houses and farmlands by the villagers over a church programme.

News Express gathered that trouble ensued when the Chairman of lzzi Local Government Area of the state deployed security operatives to stop a crusade scheduled by the villagers to fight evil doers.

According to Mr. Ekpono, “The villagers organized a crusade in our village and the Chairman of Izzi Local Government Area sent security operatives to disrupt it.

“They have concluded that we were the ones that sent them because we were against the Pastors from coming to call people’s names in the name of fighting crime.

“Agharaoza village members rallied, conspired and destroyed everything that my father laboured for throughout his life, burnt down our houses, destroyed our farmlands and many other things numerous to mention. May God come to our rescue”, he said.

All efforts to get the reaction of the Chairman of lzzi Local Government, Barrister Stephen Emenike Nwankpa, were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

He neither replied to the text message sent to him nor picked several calls put across to his phone number.

Also, when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebonyi Command, DSP Joshua Ukandu, told News Express that he was not aware of the incident.