By Peter Okutu, Abakaliki

Soldiers on a peacekeeping mission in Effium escaped death by the whiskers when warlords allegedly attacked them during an operation in the community.

Vanguard reliably gathered that despite the ceasefire agreement, which was signed by representatives of the warring parties of Ezza-Effium and Effium clans of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, there was a resurgence of attack in the community which resulted in a breach of peace.

A community leader of Ezza extraction, Nweke Obaji alleged that there was fierce shooting by suspected Effium warriors at Christ Ascension Church Umueze 2 near Effium Community Secondary School, a place dominated by Ezzas, which drew the attention of soldiers on peacekeeping.

He said on hearing the sporadic shooting from the invaders, a soldier and three civilians were alerted by the sound of the gunfire and went to ascertain the situation when they were attacked.

Though no life was lost in the attack, it was further gathered that suspected Uffiom warriors were demolishing the said church and detaching the corrugated iron roofs of the church when the locals alerted soldiers who tried to intercept the criminals.

“On sighting the soldiers, the criminals jumped down from different parts of the church and took to their heels while their accomplices fired gunshots probably to restrain the soldiers”

“They abandoned the zincs which they had rolled into bundles and two wheelbarrows. Those bundles of zinc and wheelbarrows were taken as exhibits by the soldiers to their temporal base at Nwekendiegu village”

Contacted, Ebonyi State Police Command said it would carry out an investigation into the recent development in the Area.

Following the development, there’s now palpable fear among members of the affected communities as to the security of their lives and properties.Ezza-Effium/Effium crisis: Soldiers escape death as war persists in Ebonyi community