Enyigba/Enyibuchiri Crisis:CAN, Ebonyi Govt Give Mass Burial to Victims
By Nwogha Ndubuisi Andy and Elem Onyinye, Abakaliki
Over twenty war victims from Enyigba autonomous community in Abakaliki Council Area and Enyibuchiri Community ,Ikwo Local Government Area, both in Ebonyi State were on Thursday 19 December,2019 given mass burial by the state chapter Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN,and Ebonyi State government.
The burial Service were simultaneously celebrated at the two local government council headquarters of Nkaliki, for Abakaliki and Onuebonyi Echara,for Ikwo Council Areas, as organized by Ebonyi State Chapter,Christian Association of Nigeria through the support of the State Government, to pay last honour to the war victims and assured bereaved families of their support.
Recall that Enyibuchiri Community in Ikwo LGA and Enyigba Community,Abakaliki Local Government were recently engaged in boundary dispute that claimed many lives and wanton destruction of property worth millions of naira before the intervention of the Christian body and youth peace joint movement led by Barr.Prince Pascal Nnaji Nwenyi.
This is as Ebonyi State government led by Engr.David Umahi was said to had paid 5million naira bill at Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, AE-FETHA, for the over thirty corpses from both Council Areas that were deposited in mortuary since the inception of the crisis.
Addressing bereaved families,the Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN,State Chairman,Rev.Fr. Dr. Abraham Chukwuma Nwali, commended the two communities for their cooperations, stressing that the State government has paid the sum of five million naira mortuary total bill of all the war victims who were deposited in the mortuary as the crisis lasted.
The State CAN Chairman represented by Bishop Joseph Nwibo,State Assistant Secretary of CAN, consoled the bereaved families and urged them to maintain the peace effort.
Speaking the Executive Chairman, Abakaliki Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Nwangele,
thanked the affected families for embracing peace and the State government for its support to reunites the two sister Council Areas.
Hon.Nwangele appreciated the traditional rulers and youths of both communities for their sacrifices to ensure that the warring communities cohabited again.
He pointed out the role played by State Christian body, and the youths whom he said their intervention helped to forestall the peace and prayed for God's reward upon them.
He,however, urged the bereaved families to shun and ignore every forms of rumour which he said some enemies of the two communities have seen as a tool to destabilize the already achieved peace.
He described the day as a remarkable one, stressing that the state government would compensate the affected families.
"Today is a remarkable day to our two sister communities, the day we mourn our brothers and sisters who lost their lives. I thank Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN, for wading into this crisis which their role is remarkable and the State government,Our Governor Engr.David Umahi for been with us throughout the challenging period till date.
In a separate interviews, the Bishop Methodist Church Abakaliki Dioeces,Bishop Onyeuwaoma Godwill Umoke, and Rt. Rev.Lawson Elom, Methodist Bishop, Chairman Christian Council of Nigeria,Ebonyi State,noted that the interdenominational Church Service was to mark the final burial of victims of the two communities communal conflict as a way to reestablish peace, stability and for their peaceful coexistence.
The Methodist bishops consoled the bereaved families and charged them to live in hope of resurrection after earthly sojourn.
On his part, the traditional ruler Engigba autonomous community, His Royal Highness, Eze Michael Mbam Nwobashi, appreciated the state government and Christian Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter for their intervention and uniting the two council areas.
Also, the Chairman Ndiegu Enyigba Development Union, Mr. Fred Mbam,commended the state government and Christian body led by Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali and assured them that such incident would never repeat itself between the two sister clans.
In an interview, the President Izzi/Ikwo peace movement and the vice Barr. Pascal Nwenyi and Hon. Duclan Ovuna described the action taken by the state government as unique and wonderful one, calling the two clans to imbibe to the peace resolve.
The leadership of the joint peace movement called stakeholders of both divides to encourage youths to engage in meaningful skill by supporting them in any little way they could and prayed God to console the bereaved families.
Some of affected families who spoke to us including Mrs. Regina Idoko,a native of Ogada, thanked the state government and the Christian body for wading into the matter and pray for all the departed souls to rest in perfect peace.
In a similar vein, widows numbering over one million across the 13 LGA received wrapper and other gift items from Christian Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter led by Rev.Fr. Abraham Nwali at Women Development Center Abakaliki.
Speaking with some of the widows including Mrs Nwaja Nkechi and Mrs.Nwachukwu Theresa thanked the Christian body and state government for giving them succor.
The burial ceremony was honoured by representatives of the state government, Traditional Ruler, Bishops, Mosignor, bereaved families and well wishers
Over twenty war victims from Enyigba autonomous community in Abakaliki Council Area and Enyibuchiri Community ,Ikwo Local Government Area, both in Ebonyi State were on Thursday 19 December,2019 given mass burial by the state chapter Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN,and Ebonyi State government.
The burial Service were simultaneously celebrated at the two local government council headquarters of Nkaliki, for Abakaliki and Onuebonyi Echara,for Ikwo Council Areas, as organized by Ebonyi State Chapter,Christian Association of Nigeria through the support of the State Government, to pay last honour to the war victims and assured bereaved families of their support.
Recall that Enyibuchiri Community in Ikwo LGA and Enyigba Community,Abakaliki Local Government were recently engaged in boundary dispute that claimed many lives and wanton destruction of property worth millions of naira before the intervention of the Christian body and youth peace joint movement led by Barr.Prince Pascal Nnaji Nwenyi.
This is as Ebonyi State government led by Engr.David Umahi was said to had paid 5million naira bill at Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, AE-FETHA, for the over thirty corpses from both Council Areas that were deposited in mortuary since the inception of the crisis.
Addressing bereaved families,the Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN,State Chairman,Rev.Fr. Dr. Abraham Chukwuma Nwali, commended the two communities for their cooperations, stressing that the State government has paid the sum of five million naira mortuary total bill of all the war victims who were deposited in the mortuary as the crisis lasted.
The State CAN Chairman represented by Bishop Joseph Nwibo,State Assistant Secretary of CAN, consoled the bereaved families and urged them to maintain the peace effort.
Speaking the Executive Chairman, Abakaliki Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Nwangele,
thanked the affected families for embracing peace and the State government for its support to reunites the two sister Council Areas.
Hon.Nwangele appreciated the traditional rulers and youths of both communities for their sacrifices to ensure that the warring communities cohabited again.
He pointed out the role played by State Christian body, and the youths whom he said their intervention helped to forestall the peace and prayed for God's reward upon them.
He,however, urged the bereaved families to shun and ignore every forms of rumour which he said some enemies of the two communities have seen as a tool to destabilize the already achieved peace.
He described the day as a remarkable one, stressing that the state government would compensate the affected families.
"Today is a remarkable day to our two sister communities, the day we mourn our brothers and sisters who lost their lives. I thank Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN, for wading into this crisis which their role is remarkable and the State government,Our Governor Engr.David Umahi for been with us throughout the challenging period till date.
In a separate interviews, the Bishop Methodist Church Abakaliki Dioeces,Bishop Onyeuwaoma Godwill Umoke, and Rt. Rev.Lawson Elom, Methodist Bishop, Chairman Christian Council of Nigeria,Ebonyi State,noted that the interdenominational Church Service was to mark the final burial of victims of the two communities communal conflict as a way to reestablish peace, stability and for their peaceful coexistence.
The Methodist bishops consoled the bereaved families and charged them to live in hope of resurrection after earthly sojourn.
On his part, the traditional ruler Engigba autonomous community, His Royal Highness, Eze Michael Mbam Nwobashi, appreciated the state government and Christian Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter for their intervention and uniting the two council areas.
Also, the Chairman Ndiegu Enyigba Development Union, Mr. Fred Mbam,commended the state government and Christian body led by Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali and assured them that such incident would never repeat itself between the two sister clans.
In an interview, the President Izzi/Ikwo peace movement and the vice Barr. Pascal Nwenyi and Hon. Duclan Ovuna described the action taken by the state government as unique and wonderful one, calling the two clans to imbibe to the peace resolve.
The leadership of the joint peace movement called stakeholders of both divides to encourage youths to engage in meaningful skill by supporting them in any little way they could and prayed God to console the bereaved families.
Some of affected families who spoke to us including Mrs. Regina Idoko,a native of Ogada, thanked the state government and the Christian body for wading into the matter and pray for all the departed souls to rest in perfect peace.
In a similar vein, widows numbering over one million across the 13 LGA received wrapper and other gift items from Christian Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter led by Rev.Fr. Abraham Nwali at Women Development Center Abakaliki.
Speaking with some of the widows including Mrs Nwaja Nkechi and Mrs.Nwachukwu Theresa thanked the Christian body and state government for giving them succor.
The burial ceremony was honoured by representatives of the state government, Traditional Ruler, Bishops, Mosignor, bereaved families and well wishers
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