Renewed hostility between Ogwo in Ishiagu and Akaeze, both in the Ivo LGA of Ebonyi, has claimed two lives.

Ishiagu and Akaeze communities have been embroiled in decades of boundary disputes that have claimed hundreds of lives from both sides.

Reacting to the latest crisis, the LGA chairman, Emmanuel Aja, condemned the killing and vowed to unmask the perpetrators.

Mr Aja gave the assurance in a statement on Sunday.

According to him, no one involved in perpetrating evil in the council or killing human beings in the area would go unpunished.

The council boss charged the security agencies to beef up security in the area, especially around the flash points, to avoid reprisals.

“I strongly condemn the gruesome murder of two indigenes of the Ogwor community in Ishiagu by people suspected to be from the Umobor community in Akaeze,” stated the council chair. “This is the effect of a land dispute between the two communities, which has lasted for decades, and my administration has done its best to handle the issue since we came on board.”

The politician disclosed tha a committee had come up with a resolution that the contentious land “shall be parcellated this November; a solution adopted by the stakeholders of the two communities, but to my surprise, this evil act came up.”

He called on the feuding communities to sheath their swords and maintain calm as the standing committee report would be implemented to address the long-standing boundary dispute.

The police spokesman in Ebonyi, Joshua Ukandu, said, “Yes, we have received a report of the killing of two indigenes of Ogwo Community in Ishiagu. The killing took place at a farm settlement called Ayaragu Ogwo, which belongs to the Ogwo Community.

“Investigation is ongoing to unravel the motive behind the killing and bring perpetrators to justice.”

(NAN)