Gladness Gideon
Tension has escalated in Ekoli, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, following the killing of a resident and the injuring of several others by suspected armed men alleged to be members of a local vigilante group known as Catcham Boys.
The victim, identified as Udu Nnachi Uzor, was reportedly shot dead in his home at Ndenworo village on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses claimed the attackers, numbering over 20 and allegedly accompanied by armed policemen and soldiers, stormed the residence at midday and demanded to see Uzor before he was gunned down.
His wife, Onyinye, who witnessed the gruesome killing, recounted the moment the assailants entered their home.
“They came in with force and went straight to the room. He was shot by a member of the Catcham group known as Deri,” she said, adding that her husband’s remains have been deposited at a nearby mortuary.
Community leader, Chief Etta Egor, described the incident as part of a disturbing pattern of violence allegedly linked to the Catcham vigilante group, which he accused of acting with impunity and government backing.
“We saw them moving around armed with pump-action rifles, flanked by police and soldiers. Moments later, we heard gunshots. By the time we got to Uzor’s house, he was already dead.
His family was in shock,” Egor told reporters. “We don’t understand why this community continues to be targeted. Our youths are being killed without justification.”
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Further adding to the chaos, a MAC truck reportedly belonging to a former council chairman was said to have been commandeered by the attackers and remains missing.
This incident follows a series of violent events that have plagued Ekoli in recent months. In a related attack last month, political thugs allegedly stormed the community, leaving one person dead and property worth millions destroyed.
During that unrest, a former local government chairman and ex-member of the State House of Assembly, Dr. Eni Chima, and his brother, Chima Chima, narrowly escaped an ambush after their vehicle came under heavy gunfire.
The two brothers were subsequently banished from the community for seven years by some factions, accused of instigating communal conflict.
The latest killing has deepened an already volatile situation in Ekoli, with residents expressing fear over continued violence and a perceived lack of government intervention.
Community members are calling on state authorities to investigate the activities of the Catcham vigilante group and restore peace to the troubled area.