NO fewer than 19 persons from Okpeze, Aguleri in Anambra East local government area of Anambra State were said to be missing following two nights of heavy fighting between the community and their Echonwa and Odeke neighbours in Ibaji local government area of Kogi State .

About 22 houses in Okpeze were also burnt down by people suspected to be from Kogi during a battle in which dangerous arms and ammunitions were freely used.

Since the renewed fighting began in the area last month, many lives have been lost and property worth millions of naira destroyed on both sides.

Some of the relations of the missing people told Saturday Vanguard yesterday that they were taken unawares on Wednesday and Thursday nights by heavily armed people from Kogi State who allegedly swooped on their homes at wee hours and started shooting and setting fire on houses.

They claimed that those who ran out of their houses were captured and taken to unknown destination, adding that those taken away in the last two days have not resurfaced.  According to the people, the type of arms and ammunition used during the raid on Okpeze Aguleri was an indication that the raid was sponsored by people outside the two Kogi State communities, adding that the people of Echonwa and Odeke could not have had easy access to such weapons.

Hundreds of expended bullets were said to have littered the community after the gruesome raid.

Mrs. Martha Nweke, who said her husband was among those missing, regretted that despite her pleas and cries for the invaders to leave her husband, they still took him away.

Amid sobs she said: “We were asleep when suddenly we heard sounds of guns from many directions. There was pandemonium as many people ran out of their houses half naked into the bush. Many children were heard crying as the invaders dragged their fathers out to unknown places.

“Most of the people slept in the bush and when the day broke, we discovered that many houses were either burnt or looted. I thought my husband ran into the bush with others, but when he did not appear in the morning, we knew that he was among those kidnapped.

“We are worried because these invaders had boasted in the past that they will continue to kill and eat our people. We want government to step into this matter without further delay to save us from this trauma.

“We are just beginning to settle down after last year’s flood that destroyed our homes and crops and here we are again facing this attempt to sack us from our community by Kogi people because oil was discovered in our land.”

Worried by the latest hostilities in the oil-rich border communities, the people of Aguleri have sent a Save –Our –Soul, SOS, to the federal government, as well as the governments of Anambra and Kogi states to intervene immediately to avoid further loss of lives.

Saturday Vanguard recalls that before the renewed hostilities in the area, the National Boundary Commission had met with the deputy governors of the two states for the purpose of finding a lasting solution to the border problem which became more pronounced after the commissioning of the facilities of Orient Petroleum Resources at Aguleri Otu in Anambra State by President Goodluck Jonathan last year, during which Anambra State was listed as an oil producing state.

At the last meeting chaired by the Director General of the National Boundary Commission, Dr. M.B. Ahmad, with the deputy governors of the two states and a representative of the surveyor general of the federation in attendance, it was noted that the Anambra/Kogi interstate boundary was the boundary of the former Northern and Eastern regions described in the legal notice No 126 of 1954.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/anambrakogi-border-19-persons-missing-22-houses-burnt-in-renewed-clash/

Oil wahala! The begining of the end of Nigeria.

I thought this has been settled and conceded to Anambra? What is stirring this renewed war?

Aguleri people should continue to wait for the divine intervention of the Federal Government while Kogi people continue to feast on their bodies. mtscheeew!

nonsense. Fight back or vacate the land

Whether they like it or not the entire oil wells are domiciled in Anambra. When the Aguleri people will start nobody should ask them to stop, because they will fight to the last man standing

anybody that thinks the igalas will be easy to roll over should think twice.you know those non hausa with tribal marks in the army;those are the igalas.The people of the middle belt are used to this kind of guerrilla/communal warfare. They have been doing this for centuries.In fact, this happens almost everyday that it does not even make the news. Just pray for peace and arbitration

OIL, THE BLESSING, THE CURSE, THE CAUSE!

Is it the same Aguleri much talk about warriors?

Well let government take decisive action against the culprit before things get worse

What was the decision from the boundary commission? Only when the result is out that we can tell who is looking for trouble. And I wonder what this delay is all about.

BUT what is wrong with this kogi sef. they are fighting ANAMBRA and TARABA state at the same time all because of land.

The kogi people are taking this too far. From all indications, it seems they know they don't have much claim to the oil wells and yet are still desperate to benefit from oil by any means possible. My question now is why continuously invading anambra state? The oil is in anambra and the refinery is located there in. Records, maps, and pictures show that the oil located in that region has 88% of it in Anambra state, with the remaining 12% shared between Delta, Enugu and Kogi.

Or do they want to scare away the natives of that land in order to claim the area as their own?

Or are they planning a mighty premeditated attack sometime soon and they don't want aguleri men to be around when they finally strike hence their kidnapping of aguleri men?

Anambra people are generally very peace loving, including the Aguleri people and these Aguleri people must be pushed to the wall to an extent that will cause a reprisal attack.

I urge my anambra people not to pick up arms and fight back but leave all to God. When God does his things and fights back for someone, the rewards are way more than those of human retribution.

mekaboy: What was the decision from the boundary commission? Only when the result is out that we can tell who is looking for trouble. And I wonder what this delay is all about.

I wonder what is delaying the boundary commission decision? Something tells me something's not right and something fishy is about to be done.

Why can't the federal government deploy troops to the border between these warring communities to keep peace?

I see the hand of the north in this. Somehow some external source is pushing the kogi pple.

Fight back...More savagely. Otherwise, you guys are about to be uprooted totally from your homes

mekaboy: I see the hand of the north in this. Somehow some external source is pushing the kogi pple.

^^^My sentiments exactly! The same people that get sleepless nights at the thought of an Igbo state making giant strides aided by oyel revenue from 13% derivation and taxes from Orient refinery; the same manner of people that carved up communities in Igboland and placed in other states so Ndigbo don't get the full benefits of what God blessed them with; the same conniving hateful bastards that have cornered most benefits from Nigerias' oyel wealth from the late 60s to 2009......these are the same people i'm sure have a hand in this; talk about the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob!

The practiced manner they use to invade communities in the dead of the night (with heavy/sophisticated weaponry) shows that we're not dealing with mere upstarts here, and they may be doing this with or without the tacit approval/knowledge of the Kogi communities involved.

Oil things.....
....be careful what you wish for.
May that of the ND finish quickly!

bigfrancis21: The kogi people are taking this too far. From all indications, it seems they know they don't have much claim to the oil wells and yet are still desperate to benefit from oil by any means possible. My question now is why continuously invading anambra state? The oil is in anambra and the refinery is located there in. Records, maps, and pictures show that the oil located in that region has 88% of it in Anambra state, with the remaining 12% shared between Delta, Enugu and Kogi.

Or do they want to scare away the natives of that land in order to claim the area as their own?

Or are they planning a mighty premeditated attack sometime soon and they don't want aguleri men to be around when they finally strike hence their kidnapping of aguleri men?

Anambra people are generally very peace loving, including the Aguleri people and these Aguleri people must be pushed to the wall to an extent that will cause a reprisal attack.

I urge my anambra people not to pick up arms and fight back but leave all to God. When God does his things and fights back for someone, the rewards are way more than those of human retribution.

From the bolded, i dont think you know the import of what you just wrote.

So they are waiting on the federal govt? Why are Igbos allowing some insignificant minority group to attack them like this?

mekaboy: I see the hand of the north in this. Somehow some external source is pushing the kogi pple.

Opeoo. Not Awolowo this time

mimima: BUT what is wrong with this kogi sef. they are fighting ANAMBRA and TARABA state at the same time all because of land.

Typical SE cluelessness about geography outside the SE. Kogi state is not contiguous with Taraba State and so Kogi people cannot be fighting with people from Taraba.

The only leadership capable of forestalling situations like this and the general welfare of Nigerians can only be from the SW, and not under the killer PDP party. The SW has shown he best leadership and most promise than any other regions in Nigeria. That surely counts for a lot seeing as they are not getting any extra revenue from oil and almost every part of Nigeria flock in there like Nigerians flock to UK and US. Next, the SWesterners are not intimidated and know they will even do better if peace can be maintained in the country and not have to deal with these kinds of extra baggage for everyone in Nigeria. The ibos are most likely not going to be in a position to lead the country any soon, the Hausas might but they and the ibos have not much or love for each other. The retardeen government under PDP, doesn't matter where he comes from can never do much so far as PDP in involved. Sadly though, it is the mostly south easterners that helped to rig the Odechukwu retardeen in as president with 99.9% votes. Yet, they have suffered the most from his inaction for he knows he can easily buy out ohaneze for 5 B which he has already done. When Nigerians are tired of this kind of life, they will vote to better leaders until then, enjoy your fresh air.

berem: Aguleri people should continue to wait for the divine intervention of the Federal Government while Kogi people continue to feast on their bodies. mtscheeew!

this.

igalas are very greedy people they can go to any lent to fight for that because all what they know is how to eat from the two side of there mouth without thinking of development.Are they not there when Anambra people are sinking the so cal oil well, Are they not there when company is locating there site. My question is what have they done with the power in there hand for the past thirteen years now, one time they make trouble because of Ajaokuta still company that is rightly belong to Ebira people, now is oil they are fighting for, when are they going to learn how to produce and develope there society not to be fighting for already made that is not theres, people are still waiting for the day they will fall in a pite that will swallow them. let so call there leader should do something before things get out of hand