Clashes between rival ethnic groups in eastern Nigeria's Ebonyi state on Saturday Dec 31 killed at least 50 people, the state government spokesman said, and police said mobile units had been sent to the state to quell the violence.
The clashes erupted from a long running rivalry between the Ezza and Ezilo people of Ishielu district that periodically flares up.With all these news of bombings, robbery attacks and now ethnic killings, I don't blame any foreigner who doesn't want to come to this country. Now Igbos are killing Igbos? SMH. Continue reading...
There was no suggestion it had anything to do with wider security problems in the country stemming from a violent Islamist insurgency that set off a wave of deadly bombs on Christmas Day.
But they are likely to add to President Goodluck Jonathan's mounting security woes at a time when his forces are stretched.
"Up to 60 people died in the violence. It is difficult to give the exact figure because when we visited Ezilo community, which was the scene of the incident today ... villagers were still bringing out corpses," Ebonyi state spokesman Onyekachi Eni told Reuters by telephone. "Fifty corpses were shown to us."
Violent disputes over land are common in Africa's most populous country because the majority of its 160 million people are subsistence farmers living in rural areas with few means of arbitrating disputes.
Hundreds of people are killed every year in such clashes, many going unreported because of a lack of reliable information about them.
State Commissioner of Police Adeola Adeniji said the divisional crime officer for the area was killed in the violence. "Mobile police have been sent there and the inspector general has directed more to come," Adeniji said.
Chioma Oke, an Ezilo who survived the clashes, said they started around 5 a.m.
"We heard sporadic gunshots and we began to run. They burned our houses. They said they were retaliating for an attack on them last year," she said.
26 comments:
EBONYI STATE IS NOT AN IGBO STATE LIKE THAT. LINDA SO STOP PUTTING OUT FALSE NEWS, NO IGBOS ARE KILLING THEMSELVES THANK YOU!!!
I WAS ONCE A STUDENT OF EBSU,BUT B4 I LEFT DIS STOPED,CAN BELIEVE IT CAME UP AGAIN....AND LESS I 4GET IT ALSO SPONSORED BY TWO RIVAL POLITICAL PARTY...MAY GOD HV MERCY.
I'm waiting for that tribalistic gbenga's comment.
OMG.. What a Horrible way to start 2012..may the souls of the dead RIP...I pray the stop this madness soon.
@ anonymous 11:54pm.. Really?? So it is a Calabar State. Mind u .. Ebonyi consist of Half Abia (Afikpo) and Half Enugu (Abakaliki) ... i am from the Abia Part.. So u should get ur source checked! Ebonyi is a Full Igbo state
What a bad way to end d year.
Ebonyi is an Igbo state, just sort of different from the other Igbo states, the people i mean. but they're Igbo, nonetheless. i dont think it has to do with rival ethnic groups. NO NO
This is the hand work of mallams and Alhajis of northern nigeria.They are hell bent in sabotaging Goodluck Jonathan's time in office. Since early December 2011, northern leaders and northern politicians have been dishing out bags of money to jobless youths in southern states of Nigeria to commit acts of violence so as to create the impression that President Jonathan is not in control of the country. Their aim is to have Nigeria's President impeached or use the current situation (which they created) in the country as an excuse to usher in military dictatorship that favours Hausa / Fulani islamic domination of the leadership and affairs of Nigeria.
You don't have to be Einstein to figure out who is behind this new clashes or why they're doing it.
Hausa / Fulani leaders are evil, devious, versed in dirty politics and knows the nasty things to do to distablise Nigeria and wreck havoc on Nigeria's economy.
This new tactics of funding Igbo on Igbo violence is makiciously aimed at "turning the table" on Goodluck Jonathan so that he can be seen as inept, clueless or weak. GEJ's none of that. He's a civil President. He's not a murderous uneducated Hausa / Fulani military dictator. President Goodluck Jonathan is very educated, civilised, experience and wise. By law, President Goodluck Jonathan has to follow procedures, rule of law and the Nigerian constitution. He cannot take unilateral action (against northern politicians and northern leaders) in solving the (Hausa / Fulani led political) unrest in the country. His position does not permit him to be lawless or impose his authority on northern Nigeria or on anyone.
Hausa / Fulani leaders are a bunch of illiterates, chimpanzees, and badly brought up bastard sons and daughters of Satan.
The avowed aim of the violent militant Islamic jihadist, Boko Haram, is to use constant terror tactics, violent hostilities and targeted sectarian attacks to provoke Christian - Muslim strife, undermine Nigeria's unity, fracture Nigeria's stability, gain supremacy, overthrow the Federal, State and Local Governments and establish an Islamic State, Islamic Republic of Nigeria, and introduce sharia law across Nigeria.
If you're in any doubt as to what it would be like to be a Christian in Islamic Republic Nigeria, Google: Christian + Iran. Google: Christian + Egypt. Google: Christian + Saudi Arabia.
Check out this video on YouTube:
"The struggle of Pakistan's Christians". http://goo.gl/Tle2f
The problems in Nigeria will be history soon. Boko Haram will be defeated in Jesus name. Amen.
@annonymous 11:54, you are highly ignorant to make such a foolish statement. Ebonyi is a 100% igbo state. So YES igbos are killing igbos, u better wake up and smell the morning coffee and stop fooling ur delusional self
sorry linda, its not called ethnic, but clan clash, for they of the same igbo tribe, unless you are referring the igbos to be a nation, like native americans cherookees, then you can say tribe in place of ethnicity, but ethnicity refers to then being black africans. but this is digusting that igbos are trying to kill eachother, helping northerns kill of their people, its sad. this is what makes many igbo clans claim they are not igbos, but its okay,God will help us. I thought by now that Clan mentality had been dissolved, but i guess not.
Ezza! Ezilo! What's the difference? They're just frustrated! for this 2012.
As if boko haram wahala wasn't enough these guys have to add there own to it. I thought Igbo people were more mature than this. Seriously!?!?
Don't mind illiterate @anon 11.54am getting it all wrong and even writing nonsense in capital letters. With the words 'thank u' at d end as if,,,,,,,,,,
Woooooooooo shame on him.
Good luck carry ur bad luck go.
Opportunity for Gbenga to lash out
@anon 11.54, Ebonyi is full Igbo. If you can still remember your social studies, history or geography classes you would ve learnt that south-east is divided into five states which are:Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu and EBONYI. Jeeeez you should ve just listened to your lecturers
Social Studies 101 for Anon 11:54pm
It just shows that our problem in Nigeria is not religious as some people claim. When the fulanis attacked christians and killed women and children, most of us blamed their religion, now we have fellow igbos killing women and children as well. These clashes are everywhere in the country and the level of barbarism is appaling, just that often times the media does not report some of them. These problems keep flaring up because aggrieved people do not get the justice they crave, so they take the law into their hands. The traditional rulers of both villages should be arrested and the youths who caused this mayhem too, they should be taught a lesson to serve as a deterrent to others. Otherwise there will be reprisal attacks sometime soon, women and children will also be victims as usual...so sad!
Very sad indeed. This is a time we should be talking of uniting our self. And now this.
IT IS A FIGHT BETWEEN BROTHERS THAT ENDED BADLY. IT IS SAD IT HAPPENED NOW. EBONYI IS IGBO. I WISH THE GOVERNMNET CAN STEP IN AND ACQUIRE THAT LAND, SO THAT THE AGELONG RIVALRY OVER THAT LAND WILL END. THE STATE GOVERNMNET CAN BUILD A STADIUM THERE AND CALL IT UNITY CENTRE....NG.COM
the ezza do not pass as igbos. cos they dont speak igbo. igbos dont even understand them. ebonyi state is mostly igbos not withstanding. most states in this country have people with different language people leaving in them. pls if u be abakaliki and u dey speak Igbo u must have learnt that else where. Nigeria is just blessed with different languages.
Isnt it funny how some of us are trying so hard to pin this clash on Boko Haram, or disown the tribe or ethinicity of the people fighting? to prove what point? For as long as we choose to pin our problems on religious or ethnic sentiments and continue to avoid the serious socio-economic/political problems facing us all in every part of Nigeria, and most importantly for as long as we refuse to accept responsibility for voting incompetent people into power, violence of all forms WILL CONTINUE! next thing ill hear is that Boko Haram is responsible for the removal of fuel subsidy. Nonsense.
@Rob,
That is an ignorant statement to make. So if the Ezzas are not igbo, what are they? yoruba? There are so many dialects spoken in Igbo land. So I guess if some don't speak the standard Igbo, that disqualifies them from being seen as Igbo? No wonder biafra will never work. There is too much disunity among the Igbos.
That's sad. I pray for those who have lost loved ones.
@ Anonymous Mallams & Alhajis Are Wrecking Nigeria sa
Wow. You must be a certified Moron. Congrats.
I really don't know why i am replying to to such utter horse shit.but i guess someone must congratulate you and pray for you.
I pray God helps you for you are truly in need of help. Hate consumes all. Especially blind hate THAT IS FUELLED BY IGNORANCE AND BIGOTRY. Pray that God delivers you from that.
Back to the real issue; Its quite tragic and i pray for the departed and their families. Our leaders must make sure peace reigns across our nation;At all cost.
Peace to all and happy new pump price! your N4000 full tank has now become N8000+....
When i saw the pictures it was disgusting!
This is serious o! Linda if you have not heard! The boko-haram has declare state of Emergency! Read it here- Breaking News: Boko Haram Gives 3-day Ultimatum for Christians to Vacate the North!
linda please share this to your massive readers! Please...
@Annon Dec 31 11:54pm.........Ebonyi state is not a Igbo state,,really????maybe it is a yoruba state,,,,,u're only showing ur level of ignorance......
May God help Nigeria!!
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