A middle-aged man, identified as Dick Nnachi, has been gruesomely beheaded by suspected warlords in Oso Edda, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The incident occurred on Thursday while the victim was working on his farm. His severed head was yet to be recovered as of press time.
The shocking development was announced over the weekend by the council chairman, Chima Ekumankama, during the New Yam Festival celebration in the community.
In remembrance of the deceased, a moment of silence was held at the Nguzu Edda Community Primary School, symbolising the community’s grief and solidarity.
Ekumankama, visibly shaken, lamented the spate of killings in the area and hinted that he might resign from office if the violence persists.
“Sometimes I just feel like resigning to go back to my business because each time I see the blood of an Edda man dropped on the floor, it pains me; it makes me very uncomfortable and very sad,” he said.
The chairman appealed to Governor Francis Nwifuru to establish a permanent security checkpoint in Oso Edda, deploying the army, police, and other security agencies to safeguard lives and property.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with Channels Television. He disclosed that a team of policemen had been deployed to the disputed zone while warning both communities to keep away from the buffer area created by security agencies.
The Oso Edda community and their Amasiri neighbours in Afikpo Local Government Area have been embroiled in a decades-long land dispute that has repeatedly turned violent. The clashes have claimed lives and destroyed property worth billions of naira.
Despite several intervention attempts by past and present administrations, the crisis remains unresolved.