The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a suspect accused of beheading a middle-aged man, identified as Dick Nnachi, in Oso-Edda, Edda Local Government Area of the state.
Police spokesperson, DSP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the arrest on Sunday, linking the killing to a protracted land dispute between Oso-Edda and the neighbouring Amasiri community in Afikpo Local Government Area.
Ukandu said security operatives had been deployed to the area to prevent further violence, stressing that the government was still working on demarcating the disputed land.
“I can confirm that it happened. We’ve already deployed our men to the area. This is a communal issue that has been on for over a decade.
The government is still working on demarcating the land and stakeholders have been warned to stay away from the disputed area.
Normalcy has returned to the area for now, and we have made an arrest. However, the investigation is still ongoing,” Ukandu stated.
The incident adds to a series of violent clashes over land ownership in parts of the country. Earlier in January, a similar tragedy occurred in Amai community, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, where a 70-year-old man, Mr. Aghanti, and his 50-year-old daughter, Mrs. Atagoshi, were reportedly lured into a bush and beheaded in a dispute over land.