Residents of two border communities, Lilu in Ihiala Local Council of Anambra State and Orsuihiteukwa in Orsu Local Council of Imo State, have raised alarm over renewed killings and insecurity in the areas.

Youths from the affected communities identified a previously thriving location, now referred to as “Murder Valley”, as the main operational base of armed groups accused of carrying out attacks that have crippled economic and social activities in the region.

The area, historically known as Udeke, was reportedly renamed by the gunmen.

Leaders of the Orsuihiteukwa youths, led by GadinmaOzo, recently took a team of journalists on a visit to the area to highlight the security challenges facing the communities.

A spokesperson for the community, who gave his name simply as Chukwuebuka, said residents were tired of fleeing their ancestral homes, lamenting the continued violence in the area.

“It is indeed doubtful if the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, and the State Assembly still recogniseOrsuihiteukwa and other neighbouring communities now soaked in blood daily as part of Imo State,” he said.

He also expressed concern that the once-bustling Eke Ututu market, which previously attracted traders from across the country and beyond, had become deserted over the past six years because of persistent insecurity.

According to him, villages in Orsu and Uda have been among the worst affected, with many residents displaced from their ancestral homes

He added that major access roads, farmlands and surrounding bush paths had reportedly been littered with landmines, calling for a comprehensive military operation to clear the affected areas and restore normalcy.