Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo has condemned the crisis between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam, both in the Anambra East Local Government Area, and expressed sadness over deaths, injuries, and property destruction arising from the crisis.

Mr Soludo, in a statement on Monday by his chief press secretary, Christian Aburime, ordered both communities to cease all hostilities, maintain absolute peace, and exercise restraint.

The governor summoned an emergency peace and security meeting with key stakeholders from the affected communities for Wednesday in Awka as part of efforts to address the root causes of the protracted dispute.

“All grievances, claims, and presentations must be channelled exclusively through their designated stakeholders at the upcoming Awka meeting.

“Furthermore, security agencies, including the police, have been fully deployed to the area to enforce law and order, safeguard lives and prevent any further breach of the peace,” it said.

The town union leadership of the Aguleri and Umuoba Anam communities had blamed each other for the recent crisis between the two neighbours.

President-generals of the two communities, in separate accounts, regretted the consequences of the crisis and urged their people to exercise restraint and embrace peace to forestall further loss of life and destruction of property.

Uchenna Anizor, the president-general of Umuoba Anam, in a Statement, declared a cessation of hostilities, saying the crisis was both regrettable and avoidable.

He said the trouble started when some leaders of Amaeze Aguleri tried to install a gentry at “Ezi Otu Okpa Agba” (beach road), but his community insisted that it should be put on hold pending the resolution of a dispute.

The PG said representatives of both communities met on four occasions at the palace of the traditional ruler of Aguleri, but made no headway.

He said both parties appeared before the chairman of Anambra East Local Government on 17 occasions, after which Umuoba Anam insisted on more consultations before the gentry was installed.

“But Amaeze Aguleri insisted on erecting the signpost; it was their quest to erect the signpost without mutual agreement that led the youths to resort to violence,” he claimed.

Mr Anizor said efforts to nip the crisis in the bud, including visits by the deputy governor and the commissioner of police, did not yield fruitful results.

“Barely a few minutes after the deputy governor and his entourage left the place, youths from Amaeze Aguleri started shooting sporadically again into Umuoba Anam. I was at the scene, and they nearly shot me,” he said.

Mr Anizor said Umuoba Anam was committed to peace and called for peaceful resolution of the matter and harmonious coexistence with those they had lived with for over a century and still counting.

On his part, Chike Nwabia, the PG of Aguleri, blamed the escalation of tension on the Umuoba Anam people’s decision to renege on the terms of the agreement brokered by the Local Government Council authority.

Mr Nwabia, in an interview on Monday, agreed with his Umuoba Anam counterpart that the clash was caused by a land and boundary dispute.

“We have a dispute over land that was taken to the local government authority for mediation, and both communities agreed to specific terms of settlement even though it was to our detriment.

“We resolved that the local government council should install the security cameras and signboards themselves.

“When the authorities came, the people of Umuoba Anam refused and seized the items; when we got the information, we decided to go and ask questions. We were unarmed, but these people started throwing stones at us before the community vigilance group smuggled us out of the scene,” he said.

Mr Nwabia said Aguleri traditional ruler’s palace, which represented their traditional identity and historical heritage, was razed by the attackers.

He said Aguleri had suffered untold losses in the crisis, including the person mobbed by the Umuoba youths, who was almost killed.

“It took the intervention of the deputy governor to recover one of the two snatched phones. They attacked us soon after we met at the square, where we were addressed by the deputy governor and commissioner of police, the military and other security personnel, so we felt safe.

“The day they attacked the Palace of Igwe Idigo, the traditional ruler of Aguleri, I was with him at the palace. Now, the victims are now painted as the aggressors; it is not in our place to embrace peace because we have always been peaceful.

“We want peace; we are a peaceful people. They should stop dictating to us how we should live in our fatherland,” he said.

(NAN)