Tension is still rising in Ebonyi State as the government has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Amasiri community in Afikpo Local Government Area to produce the heads of four persons killed in a bloody attack on Okporojo Oso Edda village in Edda Local Government Area.
Governor Francis Nwifuru issued the hardline directive late Monday night after an expanded State Security Council meeting at the Ochudo Centenary City, New Government House, Abakaliki.
The emergency meeting attracted top security chiefs, traditional rulers, elders, women leaders, and key stakeholders from the feuding communities.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the governor said the decision followed persistent violence tied to a long-running land dispute, despite earlier peace efforts.
He disclosed that security investigations confirmed four deaths during the attacks, while four other persons were abducted and are still missing.
Nwifuru said the state believes the abducted victims may still be alive and insisted they must be released and returned safely.
He also confirmed disturbing military reports of shallow graves discovered in the area, describing the findings as alarming and dangerous to public peace.
The governor warned that failure by the Amasiri community to meet the ultimatum within the 72-hour window would trigger stiffer sanctions, stressing that the government would not shy away from enforcing the law to restore order.
He further cautioned against protests and actions capable of inflaming the crisis, noting that although some activities would normally lead to arrests, the government was exercising restraint to allow peace efforts to succeed.
Earlier, the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, CP Adaku Uche-Anya, said sanctions already placed on Amasiri would remain until all government directives were fully obeyed.
She added that joint security operations involving the police, military, DSS, and civil defence were ongoing to secure the area and locate missing persons.
Throwing their weight behind the government, High Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, speaking for the Ebonyi State Founding Fathers, said the group was deeply involved in peace talks and committed to restoring stability.
Chairman of the Ebonyi Elders Council, Engr. Ben Okah, also pledged cooperation, calling for dialogue and unity to end the crisis.
Representing Amasiri, Bishop Kenneth Oko Daniels assured the state government of compliance and expressed hope that calm would soon return, while Chief George Ukpai, speaking for the Edda Clan, welcomed the intervention and promised to avoid reprisals.
The Ebonyi State Government has vowed to pursue justice to the end, assuring residents that all those responsible for the violence will be held accountable.
