Police in Ebonyi State has paraded twelve suspects from Abia State, in connection with the recent invasion of Ndiheme Village, in Ivo Council Area of Ebonyi State.
The incident led to the inflicting of matchet injuries, destruction of houses and property worth millions of Naira.
The Commissioner of Police, Philip Maku, during the parade, also declared one Kennedy Agbai, a lawyer to Ndiobasi Village, wanted for allegedly masterminding the criminal act.
Items said to have been recovered from the twelve suspects include three locally made single barrel guns, one double barrel gun, five Live cartridges, two matchets, one torchlight, four sledgehammers, one wooden hammer, one digger, a box of snuff, and a Tecno phone.
Briefing journalists at the parade, Ebonyi Police boss, Maku, said a preliminary investigation into the incident has revealed that an outstanding age-long land dispute has been between Ndi-obasi and Ndiheme, the two neighboring communities in Ivo LGA of the State.
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Maku notes that the case was taken to court, and the court judgment was made in favor of Ndi-obasi Community, which prompted the Ndiheme community to go for an appeal.
While the Court of Appeal process is still on, the defense council to Ndiobasi Community, Barrister Kennedy Agbai took the laws into his hands and hired heavily armed men, numbering about thirty, who stormed Ndiheme Community in Ishiagu and damaged over ten houses, killed livestock and inflicted machete injuries on innocent citizens and living two persons, Patricia Mbam and Chibuike Kela unconscious.
The victims are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. Meanwhile, effort is on top gear to arrest the said lawyer, Kennedy Agbai who fled the scene immediately after the incident.
One of the suspects, Oluoha Ngionye from Isuikwuato Council Area of Abia State, claims that they were hired by the said Barrister to Ndiheme Community to renovate his buildings in the area.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)