By Dennis Agbo

ENUGU—But for the timely intervention of the Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Edward Uboshi, a clash between policemen and youths of Umuchigbo, Iji-Nike community in Enugu East Local Government would have turned bloody.

Uboshi told Vanguard yesterday that he was called by the Divisional Police Officer of Abakpa Police Station over the matter and he quickly rushed to the venue to quell the matter.

Some women were said to have protested as the Speaker arrived the country home of the eldest man in the community, Chief Abel Alum, where the General Assembly meeting was in progress, accusing the Speaker of land-grabbing in connivance with the town union Chairman, Francis Anike.

However, Ubosi, who hails from the area, denied ever acquiring any community land, saying that the DPO of the area called him to settle a quarrel among the youths, which he promptly did.

In his own account, the Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Council, Cornelius Nnaji, who also is a native of the community, said it was a family dispute which had been resolved amicably.

It was alleged that the police, in a bid to stop the meeting from holding, shot sporadically, wounding three natives, John Agbo Anike, Nnanyelugo Okwor and Hyacinth Okoh, who were rushed to hospitals in Enugu.