• Friday, March 29, 2024
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BusinessDay

Kogi community, Ewune-Egume, cries out over invasion, arson by thugs

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Property worth millions of naira has been destroyed in Ewune-Egume Village, in Dekina Local government Area of Kogi State, by some suspected bandits that invaded the community.

BusinessDay gathered that a group of heavily armed youths stormed the community in trucks and tippers, and started shooting sporadically, causing chaos which led to the entire people in the village abandoning their property and scampering for safety.

It was equally gathered that on hearing gunshot sounds, the beaded chief of the community, the Ochai Onu-Egume, Olema Akpali was said to have fainted and has since been hospitalised in one of the clinics in the area.

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Our Correspondent, who visited the community, gathered that some household appliances, water tanks and houses were destroyed, and the arsonists drank all the beers and beverages in some restaurants and destroyed empty bottles.

According to the Community leader, Matthew Audu, the bandits/thugs invaded the community in five trucks with AK-47 rifles; went away with some domestic animals, 200 jerry cans of palm oil, 13 motorcycles and set ablaze other motorcycles while other valuable properties were destroyed.

“We have on several occasions reported the menace and threat of the group to the Divisional Police Office Egume and the incessant invasions on Ewune farms by a group of Saw millers suspected to have emerged from Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, but there has been no response from the police,” a concerned indigene told BusinessDay on condition of anonymity.

The indigene also said: “When we confronted the Saw millers of Ejule over the wanton and indiscriminate felling of our Iroko and economic trees, they claimed that the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello was aware of their activities in the forest.”

Some members of the community, who also spoke with BusinessDay off record, suspected that the posting on Facebook of the recent invasion of the group who were on a free drink at a restaurant in the community, that went viral on social media must have irked the boys to come back for the recent attack on the community.

Chairman of the security committee of Egume Community, Gowon Omale condemned the destruction at Ewune-Egume community, pointing out that it was a terrorist act.

He said that efforts must be intensified to forward the matter to the authority concerned to avoid future occurrences.

When contacted, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Williams Ayah confirmed the development, saying that some people actually invaded the village, looted property, destroyed property belonging to many people, and shot one person, who is currently receiving treatment at one of the hospitals in the area.