Manny Ita
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has ordered the immediate dismissal of all political appointees and the dethronement of traditional rulers from the Amasiri community in Afikpo Local Government Area following a surge in communal violence. The executive order, issued on Saturday, January 31, 2026, comes in response to a brutal attack on the neighboring Okporojo village in Edda Local Government Area, which resulted in the beheading of four residents and the destruction of significant property. Among those affected by the sweep is the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka (SAN), along with all management committee members, village heads, and the executive leadership of the Amasiri Town Development Union.
The crackdown follows the breakdown of long-standing boundary negotiations between the two communities, culminating in the Thursday raid. During a visit to the affected Okporojo village to assess the damage, Governor Nwifuru expressed deep dissatisfaction with the local leadership’s failure to prevent the bloodshed despite prior government interventions. “All government appointees from Amasiri, from management committee members to commissioners, are hereby sacked. Traditional rulers from Amasiri will have their certificates of recognition withdrawn… we will show everyone why we are government,” the Governor stated, emphasizing that the state would no longer tolerate the “barbaric” disregard for human life.
Security forces have reportedly apprehended ten suspects linked to the killings, while the Governor has urged the victims’ families to refrain from reprisal attacks. The state government has moved to withdraw the Staff of Office from all monarchs within the Amasiri clan, effectively dissolving the community’s formal power structure until further notice. Governor Nwifuru maintained that these drastic measures were necessary because the leadership of the community had failed to demonstrate a commitment to permanent peace, adding that the government’s “bold signature” would be felt through these disciplinary actions to serve as a deterrent to other restive areas in the state.
