The traditional ruler of Iggah community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, HRH, Igwe Herbert Ukuta, Friday, said his community has been besieged by gun-wielding youths who enjoy the protection of suspected land-grabbers in the community.
The monarch while bemoaning the assassination of the President General of his Town Union, Raphael Amuche, Thursday night by suspected AK-47 wielding youths in the community, called on governments to expedite action in order to save further loss of innocent lives.
He also said that his subjects have deserted the community for fear of falling into the hands of the gunmen.
“The President General of my Town Union was shot in the bathroom as he bent down to scoop water around 9pm. He was killed by AK-47 wielding youths who laid ambush for him in a banana plantation close to his Asadu village, Iggah.
“After killing him, the suspects escaped through bush paths and varnished into the dark night.
“Enugu State Government is trying in its efforts to save the situation but I want more efforts channelled towards arresting these boys; we know them. Most of them have criminal records in state CID and are well armed with at least 13 AK-47 riffles. We don’t know the number of pump action riffles and other small arms in their possession.
“They are responsible for everything happening in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, including burning of police stations, kidnapping and recently, killing of my innocent subjects in cold blood; people that did not do anything except that they are fighting to reclaim our community lands allegedly sold out by suspected land-grabbers in my community.
“I want all the security agents in the state to relocate to Iggah so as to arrest all these people wasting innocent lives in my community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Valentine Anikwe, a son to a native doctor in Iggah community, David Anikwe, who was allegedly assassinated by the gunmen on the 17th of February, 2022, has called on governments at all levels to bring killers of his father to justice.
Valentine said that his father was assassinated by a gang at about 10 pm in the night while he was resting in front of his house.
