Unidentified gunmen carried out a bizarre execution of innocent residents of the rustic community of Ezillo, in Ishielu Local Government of Ebonyi State in the early hours of Saturday, leaving a Divisional Police Officer and 52 other people dead in their wake.
Among the victims of the tragedy were 2 to 10 year old children as well as adult men and women, who witnesses said were killed when unknown assailants stormed the community in buses and proceeded to fire indiscriminately at residents before setting houses on fire
“We woke up this morning and saw unknown people who stormed our village and started shooting people. There are some people whose entire households have been wiped out,” said a local witness who asked not to be named for safety reasons.
The governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Martin Elechi was at the scene of the mass murder and he was visibly emotional over the sight of lifeless bodies before him. He was accompanied by the state Commissioner for Police, Adeniji Adeleke.
Mr. Elechi assured the community that criminals would be apprehended, pleading with the communities to exercise patience over the sad event.
The area is not unfamiliar with violent conflicts, having been the site of similar violence in 2007 between the Ezillo community and Ezza neighbors that caused considerable loss of life and property as well, causing the deployment of security personnel by the federal government to the area.
To contain the spread of the violence and to protect transports and other road users, the Ezillo Axis of the Abakaliki – Enugu expressway has been closed to traffic until further notice.