Land dispute: Outrage as Police discover corpse of 53-yr-old farmer in cellophane bag in Ebonyi
Clement Nnachi, Abakaliki
Outrage and anger reverberated among residents of Ebonyi State, on Monday, when news filtered that operative of the State Police Command have recovered the dismembered body of a 53 year old man identified as Joseph Isu, enclosed in a cellophane bag with a large stone tied round his neck and a gunshot injury on his right leg.
The discovery according to Police authorities occurred in Akpoha community Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state with the stomach of the victim cut wide open by his alleged killers.
It was gathered that the deceased community Akpoha and her neighbouring community known as Ezeke Amasiri also in the same Local Government Area of the state have been at daggers drawn over the ownership of land and Quarry site in the area.
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Investigations by reporter revealed that three persons were reportedly injured and are currently receiving treatment in hospital, while the deceased (Joseph Isu) was declared missing after youths from Ezeke Amasiri allegedly attacked Amata Akpoha, last week.
A Search team was constituted by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Afikpo North that discovered Isu’s body. The corpse has been deposited at the Mater Hospital Mortuary, Afikpo for autopsy .
Confirming the incident, the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah said that on September 28th the deceased was declared missing by family members after an alleged attack on Amata Akpoha people by their neighboring Ezeke community in Amasiri.
According to the Police PPRO, the Community were involved in rivalry over land and quarry site ownership where about three persons were also reported injured and were taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
The PPRO opined, “The search party organised by Afikpo North Divisional Police Officer (DPO) recovered the body of the said Mr. Joseph Isu, packaged in a cellophane bag with heavy stone hanged round his neck, with gunshot injury on his right leg and his stomach cut wide open”
The Police image maker emphasized that investigations were on-going to arrest persons involved in masterminding this dastardly act and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile the wife of the deceased Mrs Florence Isu, has appealed to the State Government and Police Authorities to fish out the killers of her husband and bring them to justice.
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In a motion laden voice, Mrs Isu said that her innocent husband was a victim of circumstance stating that the killers abducted and killed her husband without provocation.
Contributing a Community leader of Akpoha Community Professor John Igidi, said that the killers of Late Joseph Isu left behind a list containing over 300 persons in an Exercise Book which was retrieved from one of the perpetrators including a mobile Handset that fell off from him.
“The attackers in their numbers raided the entire farmland of Akpoha people, they condoned off the entire farmlands, many farmers in their farms scattered and ran for their safety on sighting the attackers. The invaders were firing in the air
“The State Security have the Phone and they have information to justify that, the victim was alone in his farm, a witness ( a woman ) was in a neighboring piece of land adjacent the deceased own, when the deceased was abducted and killed.”
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area Mrs. Obiageri Oko Enyim, condemned the act and urged Security agencies to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others.
