By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA – A violent clash erupted in Umuduru village, Nsu autonomous community in Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State when irate youths from Umuopra village allegedly attacked Umuduru-Nsu people disrupting  N1 billion Naira fundraising event being held for community’s projects, resulting in the death of one person, several others sustained various degrees of injuries with properties valued millions of naira destroyed.  

The attack which occurred on December 30, 2024, according to an eyewitness, resulted in the death of one Emmanuel Uwandu and injuries to many others. Including  Chief Vitalis Onyeaguma while the properties, including residential buildings, hotels, vehicles, generators and vans were burnt down.

However, the timely intervention of the Police from Imo state police command, Owerri and the arrest of 10 suspects assisted in the restoration of law and order.

The source stated tensions remained high, with further acts of terrorism from irate Umuopara youths, including road ambush, and vehicle burnings, occurring after the initial arrest of some of the culprits from Umuopara Nsu as many of them are now on the run, while some went back to their bases after the onslaught.

Meantime, community leaders, including the traditional ruler of Nsu, HRH Eze Iwunze, and the traditional prime minister, TPM, Chief Jonathan Edoziem, it was gathered, have all called for restraint between the two brotherly villagers and advised both parties to resolve the matter to prevent further escalation.

An indigene of Umuduru village, Uzo Nzeaka who spoke to newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra state yesterday, said the attackers invaded the victims at  Central School Field opposite St. Lawrence Catholic church completely disrupting the occasion out of envy and hatred.

President-General of Umuduru-Nsu village, Chief Barr Sir Daniel Ijebuka Okoro who also spoke to newsmen on phone, confirmed that after killing the deceased Uwandu and wounding others at the field, the attackers headed straight to his ultra-modern luxury hotel named Dancynth Travelers Suites located far away from the event and razed it down completely, burnt cars and one van used to distribute bottled water, 25KVA Lister, one double engine 12 KVA generator and another 9KVA generator.

He disclosed that the case was reported to the Imo state Commissioner of Police who promptly referred the case to the Commander of Tiger Base Squad for discreet investigations, which prompted the squad to arrest about 10 suspects from the area for interrogation in connection with the unprovoked murder and acts of terrorism. 

He noted that after arresting Umuopara elders,  on January 7, their youths went on a second rampage, snatching and burning the vehicles of Umuduru indigenes who were travelling back to their various destinations after the Christmas holidays.

Okoro lamented that even after arresting suspects in connection with the culpable homicide and wanton destruction of lives and properties, the rampaging  Umuopara youths went into hiding from where they were still terrorizing Umuduru villagers up to date but himself and other Umuduru elders prevailed their own Umuduru youths not to confront or enter into Umuopara land to revenge to avoid open war.

He insisted that as of the time of filing this report, the entire Umuduru-Nsu community is still living in fear, stressing that it could have been worse had police from Tiger Base, Owerri not intervened and carrying out the difficult task of installing the law and order given the fact that nearby Central Police Station and Police Area Command,  all in Oriagu, NSU had previously been burnt down by unknown persons, thus creating a state of lawlessness which Umuopara youths were now capitalising on to unleash mayhem on helpless Umuduru-Nsu people.

Barrister Okoro identified Emmanuel Chigozie Uwandu from Umuduru as the deceased by a man from Umuopara, while Vitalis Onyeaguma, a Lagos-based businessman was beaten to a state of unconsciousness, presumed dead but revived in a hospital and now in an Intensive Care Unit, ICU with a broken skull and bleeding through the nose.

Others who sustained various degrees of injuries from Umuduru and are currently hospitalized, according to the PG were, Nwokenkwo Christian, Nwokeorie Chibuike, Eze Onyeaguma, among others.

In his reaction, the President-General of Umuopara Community, Ferdinand Onukaogu told newsmen on the phone that it was the Umuduru people who ignited the fracas by abandoning the Umuduru Nsu Community Secondary School Field where they had originally scheduled to hold the fund-raising ceremony,  and chose to go to ‘Afor Umuopara Field’ to hold the event.

Mr Onukaogu stated that the fracas started when the Umuopara youths went to the ‘Afor market field’ to stage a football competition only to spot Umuduru-Nsu people setting up canopies and chairs in preparation for their Fundraising event.

On the issue of burning down the big hotel owned by Umuduru PG, Mr. Onukaogu insisted that he was having a meeting with Umuopara stakeholders on that fateful day when the traditional ruler of Nsu autonomous community, HRH Eze Dr.  Iwunze arrived Umuopara town hall, venue of their meeting with soldiers from Ehime Mbano and reported to them that there was fracas between the two village youths, adding that he was still at the meeting venue when he noticed a thick smoke coming out from the direction of the hotel, of which he cannot give account of how it was set ablaze and who did it.

 On the alleged assault on the paramount traditional ruler of NSU, Dr. Iwunze  by Umuopara youths, Mr. Onukaogu noted that ‘because  the royal father appeared on an informal dress, wearing trousers and T-shirt, some of the Umuopara youths who could not easily identify him, queried the rationale behind his decision to take sides on the matter’.

As at the time of filing this report, several attempt to get the confirmation of the incident proved  abortive as the Imo state Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye who neither confirmed not denied the incident, told newsmen on phone that he would verify the report from the Divisional Police Officer at Ehime-Mbano and get back to them.