Youths of Umuatulu Village in Enugu Ukwu Community, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State have staged a mass protest against the alleged illegal takeover of village leadership, the growing insecurity, and the forceful disarmament of local security operatives.
The protesters, who stormed the palace of the traditional ruler, Igwe Ralph Ekpeh, on Monday, demanded urgent intervention and the arrest of Ebele Ngini, whom they accused of terrorizing the community and fostering unrest.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Ebele Ngini is a terror to our community”, “He dismantled surveillance cameras to avoid being captured”, and “We beg Gov. Soludo to intervene and restore peace”, the demonstrators lamented the deteriorating security situation.
Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved residents, Mr. Ralph Okonkwo alleged that Ngini forcefully disarmed the village vigilance team, seizing seven pump-action rifles and redistributing them to untrained individuals.
“Ebele Ngini took over our village leadership illegally in June last year, disarmed the vigilance team, disconnected our CCTV cameras, and brought in unknown gunmen who shoot sporadically at night, denying us sleep,” Okonkwo said.
He added that despite directives from the Igwe-in-Council to reinstate the legally elected leadership, Ngini and his group ignored the ruling, further deepening the crisis.
Responding to the grievances, Igwe Ralph Ekpeh condemned the ongoing acts of lawlessness and assured the protesters that swift action would be taken to restore peace.
“We have tried engaging Ebele Ngini in dialogue, but to no avail. He has continued to terrorize the people and disrupt order in our community. Now, we will officially report him to the police for prosecution,” the monarch declared.
Ekpeh also assured that efforts would be intensified to recover the seized firearms and restore the dismantled security surveillance system to ensure the safety of the people.
The unrest in Umuatulu Village highlights the growing concerns over community security in Anambra, as residents call on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene before the situation escalates further.
