•ADC chieftain slams Ebonyi Governor over alleged threat to annihilate communities within three weeks

By PETER ANOSIKE

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nelson Ahamefula Akuma, has described as punitive and barbaric the action of the Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, on Amasiri communities of the state.

Speaking Thursday on the crisis between Amasiri and Edda communities, Akuma said that, “It is very unfortunate that what began as an uninvestigated allegation of murder has escalated into a full-scale military invasion, collective punishment of civilians, political repression, economic shut down, and serious violations of fundamental human rights.”

According to him, the situation has now degenerated to a deepening humanitarian crisis as the communities are now facing militarization, displacement, and institutional erasure.

He alleged, in a statement, that following the directive from the governor, all public and private primary and secondary schools in Amasiri have been shut down, markets, churches, shops, and social activities have been closed and farming, trading, and worship have been halted, thereby, creating hunger and hardship.

His words: “I want to start by saying that the murder of some natives of Edda is highly condemnable. However, the way the governor is handling it is very wrong. The duty of a leader is to solve problems and not to complicate it and that is exactly what Governor Nwifuru is doing.

“There is no way everybody in Amasiri can be murderers. So, applying collective punishment is not the way to go. As I speak, Amasiri indigenes resident in Abakaliki have been ordered to vacate the town. Indigenes of Amasiri who are from Amasiri who are in Ebonyi State civil service have received verbal termination of their appointments. Students of Amasiri origin in tertiary institutions in Abakaliki are being ordered to self-identify. Furthermore, through legislative action, Amasiri has been removed from the list of development centres in Ebonyi State and detached from Afikpo LGA. Again, the communities have been placed under a joint administrative arrangement by four LGAs, resembling a colonial trust territory. The worst of all is that the governor publicly stated that within three weeks, there will be nobody in the community. That is certainly not leadership.”

Akuma alleged that after the incident, a teacher from Amasiri went to Abakaliki to get the pupils registered for the 2026 Common Entrance and was clearly told that the governor instructed that no person from Amasiri should be registered.

He said that while he unequivocally condemns the murder and sympathises with the affected families, he totally rejects the collective punishment being implemented by the governor on the ground that no investigation was conducted, no suspected has been identified as coming from Amasiri and no fair hearing has been granted.

Governor Nwifuru, according to Akuma, should find a civilised way of resolving the crisis, rather than taking punitive measures the people of Amasiri.