Gunmen kill pastor, others in Ebonyi community

Armed men on Sunday morning attacked Amegu Nkalagha community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, killing about twenty residents and burning houses. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the attack but said 10 persons were killed. Sources in the area said the attack might be a reprisal […]

Armed men on Sunday morning attacked Amegu Nkalagha community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, killing about twenty residents and burning houses.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the attack but said 10 persons were killed.

Sources in the area said the attack might be a reprisal one following the killing of some cows belonging to herdsmen in the area.

A member of the community and former chairman of ASUU, Ebonyi State University, Prof.  Ndubuisi Idenyi, also confirmed the attack to Daily Trust on Sunday evening.

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The suspected herdsmen attacked and killed two worshippers in the church, adding that most of those killed were young men.

He said the herdsmen attacked the community in the early hours of Sunday, killing many people and burning down houses.

“I don’t have the number of casualties right now. We are still tracking and bringing out the dead bodies especially those killed in the farms.

“But what I can tell you right now is that not less than 20 persons were killed mostly young men. They took us unaware in the early morning of Sunday,” he stated.

Daily Trust gathered that a pastor of a Pentecostal Church in the area was among those killed in the attack.

Another source who pleaded anonymity said the community members were not responsible for the killing of the cows.

“We did not kill their cows. The cows were killed by members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the forest,” the source said.

However, the Chairperson of Isheilu Local Government Area, Ifeoma Peace Agwu, confirmed the incident to journalists.

She said: “We are taking the victims’ bodies to the mortuary right now. I cannot talk much on it now. We will give you more details later.