http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=169074

"By Chinedu Eze, 03.21.2010

The communal clash between the people of Ezillo clan who are the aborigines and the Ezza settlers over struggle for land has claimed four prominent people from Cross Rive State. The quartet were burnt to death during the week on an emissary to the troubled community.


Report said mercenaries allegedly employed by the Ezzas killed and burnt to death the victims who were on their way to Ogoja through the Enugu-Abakaliki highway that cuts through the warring community and that their four-wheel-drive vehicle with the number, LN 304 AAA, belonging to a director in the Federal Civil Service who was also killed in the incident, was also burnt down.
THISDAY learnt that Cross River State Government sent a delegation to Ebonyi State Government on Tuesday, protesting the killings and the state government is striving to end the crisis by any possible means.


Besides the aforementioned, other killings have been taking place along the highway and in the various villages of the community.
According to eye witness account, the crisis is still on-going in spite of all the efforts to end it because the Ezzas who have dominant population in the state refused to resettle in portion of land given to them by the state government, while the Ezillo people defiantly insisted that the Ezzas, known as Ezza Ezillos must leave the community.


The clash which started on May 10, 2008 has claimed more than 600 lives with property worth more than N1 billion destroyed.
A senior official of the Ebonyi state government told THISDAY that efforts made by the state government to reconcile the two warring clans ended in futility as political interests seem to have suffused the major reason why the crisis started, which is the resistant of the Ezillos against alleged plan of the Ezza settlers to take over the community by their superior population and overwhelming wealth.


But the Ezzas have dismissed the fears, alleging that the Ezillos had always wanted to force them out of the community, which became their home way back in the 1930s, when their great grand fathers were invited to help Ezillos fight their neighbours in the enduring struggle for land.
A prominent son of Ezillo and a public servant in the state told THISDAY at the weekend that Ezillo people are eager to make peace, complaining that Ezza people have engaged in guerilla warfare to exterminate the Ezillos, adding that to make peace both parties should make sacrifices.

THISDAY also gathered that the Ezzas who rejected the place given to them in the community by the state government, arguing that it was a stream of land that lies in the boundary between two communities, requested that one half of the community should be allocated to them, while the Ezillos reject such request, insisting that they could only concede what government has already given to the Ezza Ezillos.
“Government moved from the initial 52.5 hectares of land given to them and enlarged it to 306. 29 hectares; this is additional landmass of 253.5 hectares as contained in the broadcast of the governor, Chief Martin Elechi,” a source told THISDAY.
But Ignatius Nwali from the Ezza clan told THISDAY that his people decided to continue to launch attacks because in the past whenever a truce was agreed on the Ezillo people would break it and they would be caught unawares, noting that until their own conditions are met they would not stop the fight.


“The area that Ezza people want is on this side of Ebonyi River . Due to the good relationship and good co-existence our grandfathers had with their grandfathers they agreed to live together. But since they want to flush us out or eliminate or prevent us from enjoying the fruit of the labour of our grandfathers, we have requested that we live at one side of the community. The land where we live before, we are ready to forfeit— those land at the other side of Ebonyi River is what we want. That is what we want now.”
Dr Onyekachi Eni, Chief Press Secretary to the Ebonyi State Governor told THISDAY, “Since this crisis broke out, Governor Martin Elechi has left no stone unturned to resolve it. He has been personally involved in the various peace building initiatives of the state government."


So how do we resolve the issue of communal crises?
What do our security agencies do about intelligence gathering?

This fight is still on, the worst thing is that elder Elechi is poweless as governor. These hired gunmen block the expressway for days shooting at sight any vehicle that nears the roadblocks.

We need to tackle these issues very seriously
Must these incidents happen daily?
This is another one


http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/40364/1/Herdsmen-strike-in-Ekiti-kill-police-corporal-two-villagers-wounded/Page1.html

Herdsmen strike in Ekiti, kill police corporal, two villagers wounded

By Adewale Adeoye


"Armed Fulani herdsmen have killed a police Corporal identified as Shuaib, a native of Edo State who until his death was the head of a little community police station located at Irele, North East of Ekiti State. The dawn attack on Wednesday left two peasants critically wounded.

The incidence happened barely a week after the Northern city of Jos witnessed violent attacks by herdsmen on locals. The Jos incidence claimed hundreds of deaths, including but not limited to women and children.

Police sources at Ikole Ekiti, the chief town in the area, claimed that a ‘bush-hunt’ for the murderers lasted for two days but did not yield results until last Friday when three of the herdsmen were arrested. Another suspect was arrested at Ogbe, on the community’s market day. Ogbe is a nuclear settlement on the fringe, between Kogi and Ekiti States.

Eyewitnesses claimed that in the early hours of Wednesday, two natives had complained to the local police authority after several cows owned by the herdsmen had invaded subsistent farms, eating much of the cash crops. Yam tubers destroyed or eaten were said to be in hundreds. The killing of the police man, locals claimed, marked the odd peak of frequent skirmishes that had characterized the relationship between natives and the herdsmen for close to half a decade.

‘The herdsmen come to our farms all the time. We are at their mercy. In this latest case, they invaded the farms cockcrow last Wednesday after which they wounded several of the farm owners. The owners reported the incidence to the police station from where a corporal was sent to arrest the herdsmen. When they sighted the policeman, they viciously attacked and killed him,’ an old farmer whose family of five spends most of their days working and sleeping on their farmland told The Nation. He said since the recent attack, his family has relocated into his ancestral home in the centre of the small, peaceful community.

He said the tow attacked peasants were Tiv, natives of Benue State, who recently migrated into the area in large numbers for farming. Many of the Tiv were said to be victims of past ethnic clashes in Taraba state where many of them were displaced due to the year-long fighting with their Junkun neighbours in 2004.

Mr Sola Olatunde, an indigene of Ekiti State and member of the Ekiti Development Association, EDA said the past one decade has seen what he called the invasion of Ekiti and many states in the South West by ‘herdsmen that have no respect nor understanding of the customs, tradition and ownership of land by families and communities.’ He said the grazing activities of the cattles owned by the herdsmen have led to the depletion of forestland in Ekiti while raising the specter of serious ethnic conflict in the entire South West region.

‘We have on our hands a very serious social, cultural and security problems due to the invasion of the herdsmen some of whom are from Chad, Niger and Mali. Unfortunately they are all armed with guns and machetes. They forcefully live in our ancestral lands which they now seize by force,’ Olatunde stated adding that cases of violent robbery and rape of minors are constantly associated with the herdsmen.

A community leader in Irele, Dr Niyi Oluwafemi, who is a medical doctor, told The Nation that herdsmen in the area occasionally block the new trunk-B road that runs from Ikole to the surrounding towns and villages with their cattles, leading to untold hardship for commuters. He said he has confidence in the ability of the police to tackle the menace."

I am yet to see any 'layman' happy about this nation. Everyone takes out their frustration on others and we don't have any security of lives. Between a Nigerian life and a chicken, I don't know which is more cheap.

Just curious, are these communities muslim vs christian

what heck type of clash is that

@ziga, nope, its between ezeuche's uncles and bialegend's aunties, in other words its chickens coming home to roooooooooooooost.

18 platoon:

@ziga, nope, its between ezeuche's uncles and bialegend's aunties, in other words its chickens coming home to roooooooooooooost.

We Igbos have warrior blood running through our vein. Of course there is some conflict among us, but it is quite minor. It just a blood feud that needs to be sorted out. Like the Hatfields and the McCoys of America.

EzeUche:

We Igbos have warrior blood running through our vein. Of course there is some conflict among us, but it is quite minor. It just a blood feud that needs to be sorted out. Like the Hatfields and the McCoys of America.

Funny excuse

invisible!:

I am yet to see any 'layman' happy about this nation. Everyone takes out their frustration on others and we don't have any security of lives. Between a Nigerian life and a chicken, I don't know which is more cheap.

A Nigerian's life seems to be the cheaper of the 2,

18 platoon:

@ziga, nope, its between ezeuche's uncles and bialegend's aunties, in other words its chickens coming home to roooooooooooooost.

i see where ezeuche's "warrior" blood comes from, by the way eze, why u no go practice for there now?

eze has always been an idiot 600 lives lost in communal lashes are minor . . . . not really,
I actually laughed at his lame excuse

had it been muslims the whole world would have been saying BS. 600 lives lost is not a small number nor is it minor.

EzeUche:

We Igbos have warrior blood running through our vein. Of course there is some conflict among us, but it is quite minor. It just a blood feud that needs to be sorted out. Like the Hatfields and the McCoys of America.

Thank God you didn't blame it on the Hausa / North / Muslim this time.

But lets face it your excuse is quite a d.umb one and i was expecting such a typical bias response.  

It is just one Igbo clan against another. Like I told you people before, stop worrying about Eastern affairs. This is our business, not yours. We can handle it on our own.

Some of my people still look to their clan than there "Igboness." Even among my own Igbo clan, the Aro, some still consider themselves superior to other Igbos.

However, there are few in number now. We Igbos travel to different parts of Igboland all the time. These foolish Igbos still look to their clans are quite delusional.

Just a minor clan violence. It does affect the entirety of the Igbo race.

^^^^ the same way you commented on ekiti affairs right? lol
I guess you were minding your business then abi?

You are just a dumb person really- Im laughing hard as shiot right

sjeezy8:

^^^^ the same way you commented on ekiti affairs right? lol
I guess you were minding your business then abi?

You are just a dumb person really- Im laughing hard as shiot right

Look idiot, I was not concerning myself with Ekiti affairs. I was just laughing at your people. If I was concerned about what is going on in Ekiti, I would be giving your foolish people advice. Simple logic is not your forte.

You are too dumb to understand what is going on. You probably do not not even know where this place is on the Nigeria map. So why concern yourself with it? It is not like your people travel like the other groups.

You can speak about something you do not know.

^ who is giving you people advise I too am laughing at you.

sjeezy8:

^ who is giving you people advise I too am laughing at you.

But, it is much easier to laugh at you though. 

^ I dont think so cause no yoruba was killed in ekiti dis one is igbo killing 600 igbo and youre excuse was igbo having warrior blood in them lol

lmfao - youre gay

sjeezy8:

^ I dont think so cause no yoruba was killed in ekiti dis one is igbo killing 600 igbo and youre excuse was igbo having warrior blood in them lol

lmfao - youre gay

Says the one who wears those skinny jeans. 

You have some nerve to talk. Just sayin.

Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. And you say Yorubaland does not have any of these conflicts? This is the pot calling the kettle black.

haha yorubaland is full of conflict but we dont go around blaming other  like you psychotic biafrans do.

and we dont rejoice over confict in other areas like you psychos. All up northern Nigerias asses/christian nd muslim and forgot about the conflict in your ownland.
claiming 600 lives crazy!

the way you delusional looneys talk- you would think igboland/biafra is some type of utopia. Wanting Ngeria to break up, but forgetting ijaws/deltans want a ND republic of their own.

Igbo Biafran Noise makers = Toy internet soldier = EzeUche.

Can you do us a favour and shut your trap. The Igbo warrior or is it town crier

what is happening in Ebonyi is just a little mis understanding and you will probably settle amicably after about 1000 casualities ?

sjeezy8:

the way you delusional looneys talk- you would think igboland/biafra is some type of utopia. Wanting Ngeria to break up, but forgetting ijaws/deltans want a ND republic of their own.

I am a Niger Deltan you fool. Imo and Abia state is part of the Niger Delta if you forget. And the Ikwerre Igbo are the Niger Delta. Port Harcourt is an Igbo town. Igwe Ocha is the name and may you never forget it.

The Ijaw can have their own Republic, but like I said in another thread, the Efik, Ibibio, Ogoni, Delta Igbo, Ikwerre and the other groups within the East will join the Igbo before they join any Ijaw. I am part Ibibio if you did not know.

Shows your knowledge of Eastern politics. Mind your business and stay out of Eastern affairs. Yourbas always commenting on something they know nothing about.

lol . . . . I think the Igbos need to be separated on the basis of this communal clash

hatch#:

Igbo Biafran Noise makers = Toy internet soldier = EzeUche.

Can you do us a favour and shut your trap. The Igbo warrior or is it town crier  

what is happening in Ebonyi is just a little mis understanding and you will probably settle amicably after about 1000 casualities ?  

And the noise is getting louder and louder. Now even a madman from another country can realize Nigeria is a failure. You are clearly delusional as I have stated before.

How does it feel fighting a losing battle? The Fulani are at your gates. Now run!  

@ezeuche, you see, everyone is seeing throught your lies, cos you think with you a-ss, you're always saying things even a ten year old will be ashamed to say.

18 platoon:

@ezeuche, you see, everyone is seeing throught your lies, cos you think with you a-ss, you're always saying things even a ten year old will be ashamed to say.

The only people have criticized me is you the lone Hausa, and the spineless Yoruba. So in essence, only insignificant people.

@ezeTODDLERuche, insignificant, did you actually say that, did you?

18 platoon:

@ezeTODDLERuche, insignificant, did you actually say that, did you?

Maybe you should worry about your so called cousin who supposedly designed a car. lol

yes seperate ebonyi immediately 600 people died and the war has been going on for decades.

lol eze oloshi of a guy do you not know that there are ijaws from ondo to cross river, do you think they will want to be split up between 9 states. ep without a war? lol

NDelta republic that was declared before biafra included all ND states except imo, abia. an that is what the ND are asking for.

@ezeuche, go and type JELANI ALIYU on youtube, its a known fact he's from SOKOTO and he've made his mark, and you sound to me as someone who will end up as a dockworker in barltimore inner harbour.

sjeezy8:

yes seperate ebonyi immediately 600 people died and the war has been going on for decades.

lol eze oloshi of a guy do you not know that there are ijaws from ondo to cross river, do you think they will want to be split up between 9 states. ep without a war? lol

NDelta republic that was declared before biafra included all ND states except imo, abia. an that is what the ND are asking for.

Which should we seperate first as a matter of urgency, Ebonyi with 600 dead or far Northern Nigeria with over 100,000 Dead within the same period.

Tell me please,

Bottom line is this.

No matter how many fragments we break up into, with our current selfish state of mind (government and common man) we will never stop having violent clashes.