The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has ordered the immediate closure of all schools in the Amasiri clan in the Afikpo Local Government Area and imposed a 20-hour daily curfew following a deadly attack allegedly carried out by assailants from the clan in Okporojo village, Edda Local Government Area. The attack led to the killing and beheading of four people and the burning of more than nine houses.
The measures were part of resolutions reached at an emergency meeting of the Ebonyi State Security Council on Saturday night, convened in response to the mayhem in Okporojo village, Oso Edda community.
Earlier on Saturday, Governor Nwifuru visited the affected community, commiserated with residents, and directed security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attack.
Briefing journalists after the Security Council meeting in Abakaliki, the governor announced a range of security and administrative measures aimed at restoring calm and preventing further attacks.
He disclosed that, on the council’s advice, the state government approved the immediate dethronement of two traditional rulers in the Amasiri clan as part of efforts to address the crisis. “The letters of their dethronement will be issued to them tomorrow,” he said.
The governor also said the council ordered the dissolution of all community-based leadership structures in the clan, including development union executives, village heads, women leaders, youth leaders, peer groups, and any other formal or informal organisations operating within the clan.
“The government has agreed with the council’s directive and dissolved all executives of the Development Union, village heads, women leaders and groups, youth leaders and groups, peer groups, and any other organisations in the Amasiri clan,” he said.
Nwifuru added that the Security Council directed the chairmen of the Afikpo, Ivo, Ohaozara, and Onicha local government areas to jointly take over the administration and government activities in the Amasiri clan until further notice.
The governor said the council also ordered the immediate shutdown of all amenities in the town, including public and private schools. The Amasiri Development Centre, an arm of the local government in the area, is also to be closed.
A bill has been prepared to repeal sections of the law that established the Development Centre and will be sent to the State House of Assembly.
“The council advised the government of Ebonyi State to submit an executive bill to repeal the local government and Development Centre law that created Amasiri Development Centre and remove it from the state’s development centres. The government has agreed, and the bill has been prepared to send to the House of Assembly,” he said.
“The council further directed that all government amenities in Amasiri, including public and private schools, should be closed immediately.
“All teachers and tutors are to be posted to other schools and communities outside Amasiri with immediate effect.
“The Commissioner for Local Government and the Commissioner for Education have been directed to implement this order,” the governor added.
“As of tomorrow morning, there will be no schools in Amasiri, and the Development Centre will no longer operate,” he said.
Nwifuru also announced a daily curfew on the Amasiri community from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m. During the curfew, all markets, shops, businesses, banks, quarries, and other commercial activities are to remain closed.
The council further directed security agencies to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killings in Okporojo and recover the severed heads of the victims.
The governor said the measures, though drastic, were necessary to restore law and order and reassure residents of the state government’s commitment to security.
“These resolutions take immediate effect,” he said, warning that the state would not tolerate acts of violence or lawlessness in any part of Ebonyi State.
