A grandmother has been reported missing after unidentified gunmen attacked Akanto-Ndukwe-Amasiri Farm Settlement in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Guardian gathered that the grandmother, Ikwor Nkechinyere, who is in her late sixties, was abducted on her farm while working with her seven-year-old granddaughter, who escaped by the whiskers from the farm.

Confirming the abduction, the Chairman of Afikpo Local Area, Timothy Nwachi, described the attack as sad, saying that security agents have moved into action to secure the release of the grandmother.

The chairman stated that he had a meeting with Amasiri stakeholders and security agents on the way to restore peace in the community, adding that he had directed them to meet with their counterparts from Edda LGA for the possible release of the grandmother.

Speaking to journalists, the Leader of Essa Ruling Council, Amasiri, Retired Sanitarian, Chief Ezeaba Samuel Uchenna, disclosed that while Ikwor Nkechinyere was harvesting cassava in her farm when four armed boys suddenly came out of the bush, shooting sporadically before abducting her.

According to him, many people had been killed on the disputed farmland, recalling that a former retired soldier and his wife were murdered and their bodies had yet to be recovered.

“I was at home yesterday when we were told that the Eda people came and destroyed the health centre built by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for settlers there, people who farm there.

“When I tried to act as a leader to inquire more, I was told that a woman from Amangwu Edda, precisely, that she went to harvest cassava in her farm with her granddaughter, who is a seven-year-old girl,” Chief Ezeaba Samuel said.

He further explained that it was when the abducted grandmother was trying to move the cassava she had uprooted that the men of the underworld appeared and whisked her away to an unknown destination.

Speaking, a native of Oso Edda Local Government Area, who pleaded for his identity to be concealed, said that they are not aware of any adoption of any grandmother in a farm at Akanto in Amasiri.

He said that the only incident he is aware of was the uproar that happened at Ndi Uduma market where some persons were seen scampering for safety.

“We thought they were those protesting, but to our surprise, we started hearing gunshots from Amasiri axis,” he said.

“But we are surprised that they accused Oso of abducting a grandmother, but I am saying that no grandmother was abducted by our people.”