Sir: In the words of W.B Yeats: “Turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer, things fall apart, the centre cannot hold, mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”

This is exactly the situation in Ugboha, Ward 10, in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State. The shield of protection has been inverted by the heartless, unrepentant, unknown killer headsmen. A community of hospitable and very welcoming people, devoid of tribal sentiment is now totally devastated by the reckless, endless and gruesome frequent killings of her citizens.

This occurrence has been going on for the past four years ranging from the most recent brutal killings, to broad day kidnapping without tactical counter attack. Ugboha is an Agro based community of high economic importance, rich of untapped natural gas reserve within Esan land, with its geographical location coordinate (6.759747,6.459658); bounded by Agenebode to the North, surrounded by Uromi and Ilushi as close neighbouring communities.

Uromi -Ugboha road, a journey of 8 minutes drive, has become a nightmare and hardnut to crack in the hands of kidnappers and herders. It has become a herculean task to ply this short journey of 8 minutes without either losing your life, held hostage or reaching your destination unharmed.

A community of less than 20,000 people, has experienced, in two weeks, broad day killings; of a woman in her tomatoes farm matcheted; a young man in his 30s shot at close range in his farm simultaneously with a couple kidnapped in the farm same day with a disabled man beaten to the point of death; an Ibo man who has lived in Ugboha community for 35 years was also murdered in his farm without traces and another brutal killing of a young man between Uromi / Ugboha road.

The situation has become unbearable and has made Ugboha now an Isolated community with no bounds and of little or no hope for tomorrow. The efforts being made by the local vigilante and the Military Forward Operating base is not enough to counter the attacks and urgency that is needed.

Compellingly, the people of Ugboha are calling on the local government, Edo State government and the Almighty Federal Government to kindly intervene, stop this ethnic cleansing, comb the forest and restore peace in the community as the people can no longer go to their farms; economic activities totally crumbled for fear of safety .

Joseph Odekhian, Secretary, Greater Tomorrow League.