Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has sacked a serving commissioner and removed traditional rulers in Amasiri clan of Afikpo Local Government Area following deadly communal violence that claimed four lives.
The governor ordered the immediate removal of all traditional rulers in Amasiri and directed the withdrawal of their staff of office. He also sacked the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka, who hails from the affected area, and dissolved the entire political and traditional leadership structure of the community.
The decisive actions followed a violent attack on Okporojo in Oso Edda community, Edda Local Government Area, where four persons were allegedly beheaded, with their heads reportedly taken away by assailants from the Amasiri clan.
Governor Nwifuru announced the measures on Saturday during an on-the-spot assessment visit to Okporojo, where he addressed residents, community leaders, security agencies and government officials.
Describing the incident as “most unfortunate,” the governor condemned the killings, stressing that such barbaric acts would never be tolerated in Ebonyi State.
He assured the affected community that the state government would decisively deal with those responsible, adding that the lives lost would not be in vain.
Nwifuru urged residents to remain calm and avoid reprisals, warning that retaliation would only escalate the crisis. According to him, government intervention would be firm but guided by the need to restore peace and prevent further bloodshed.
The governor revealed that the conflict had lingered for several years despite repeated reconciliation efforts, including boundary demarcations and peace agreements between the communities, lamenting that such agreements were consistently violated.
He said his visit was a clear signal that the state government would no longer tolerate lawlessness or disregard for the rule of law.
Issuing a stern warning to the Amasiri community, Nwifuru cautioned that violence would never produce a meaningful resolution, noting that the situation was fast approaching “a point of no return” if provocations continued.
Consequently, he announced the immediate dissolution of the Amasiri Town Development Union and its executive members, the withdrawal of the traditional ruler’s certificate, and the removal of all village heads in the Amasiri autonomous community.
The governor further ordered the sack of all political appointees from Amasiri, including management committee members and commissioners serving in his administration.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to restoring lasting peace in Edda Local Government Area, Nwifuru promised that government intervention would begin to yield tangible improvements in the community by next year.
“As long as I remain your governor, this kind of rascality will never happen again,” he said, vowing that the perpetrators would face the full weight of the law.
