The President General (PG) of the Ebonyi Unity Forum in Anambra State, Chief Moses Chukwuma Ofoke, on Sunday condemned the violent killings, harassment, and intimidation of Ebonyi indigenes living in Anambra, blaming the security agencies for not living up to expectations.
Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki on the massacre in Orumba North Local Government Area, where 11 Ebonyians were brutally murdered during a town union meeting, Ofoke noted that several others sustained life-threatening injuries during the attack, adding that many Ebonyians have suffered humiliation in the state.
He appealed to security agencies to redouble efforts to apprehend the killers of the Orumba North victims and restore order in troubled Anambra communities, cautioning Ebonyi indigenes against acts capable of bringing disrepute to their people.
“We are peace-loving people, and our contributions to commerce, education, and development in Anambra cannot be ignored. It is time justice is done for those killed, and it is time our people are treated with fairness and respect,” he noted.
The victims, whose remains were recently given a mass burial attended by community leaders and government officials in Ebonyi, were said to have been attacked by unknown gunmen who stormed the meeting venue in two vehicles. According to Ofoke, the assailants forced members to surrender their phones and lie face down before opening fire.
“Eleven of them died instantly, while several others sustained life-threatening injuries. Despite our cries for justice, no meaningful arrests have been made months after the killings. The situation has left our people living in fear, and this cannot continue,” he lamented.
The PG further accused some security operatives and vigilante groups in Anambra of engaging in arbitrary arrests, torture, and even extrajudicial killings of Ebonyians under flimsy pretexts, alleging that many victims are targeted simply because of their origin.
“What we are passing through in Anambra is not easy. Security challenges are overwhelming, with many communities under the control of unknown gunmen. Yet, our people are often the soft targets. We cannot allow these atrocities to be swept under the carpet,” Ofoke warned.
Despite the tension, the Ebonyi leader expressed optimism that the leadership of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi and Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra would foster stronger collaboration to end the hostilities.
He described both governors as leaders committed to peace and good governance, insisting that Ebonyians in Anambra should not be treated as strangers but as partners in development.
“By God’s grace, with the support of our two governors, Ebonyi people in Anambra will no longer be subjected to ill-treatment. We will cement mutual relationships between the two sister states and ensure peace and dignity for our people,” Ofoke assured.
He added that the Ebonyi Unity Forum—an umbrella body for all Ebonyi associations and clubs in Anambra—remains committed to promoting unity, dialogue, and cooperation to protect members’ welfare while maintaining peace in the host state.
