Fear and unrest gripped residents of Ekoli in Edda Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, following a violent attack by suspected gunmen, which left one man dead and several others injured.
According to eyewitness reports, the attackers—believed to be members of a group known locally as the Catcham Boys—stormed Ndenworo village around midday and killed Udu Nnachi Uzor in his home.
His wife, Onyinye Uzor, who witnessed the tragedy, recounted that nearly 20 armed men, allegedly accompanied by individuals in military and police uniforms, invaded their home asking for her husband.
“They went straight into the room and shot him. The shooter, identified by locals as ‘Deri,’ is said to be a known member of Catcham,” she narrated, adding that her husband’s body has been deposited at a nearby morgue.
Community leader, Chief Etta Egor, expressed deep concern over the repeated violence allegedly perpetrated by the vigilante group.
“These Catcham Boys, some carrying pump-action rifles and moving alongside security operatives, have turned our villages into danger zones. Just yesterday, gunshots rang out and before we knew it, Nnachi Uzor was lying dead,” Egor lamented.
Residents are now calling on the government to investigate why a vigilante group operates with such impunity, especially when backed by those in uniform.
Reports also indicate that a MAC truck linked to a former local council chairman, allegedly seized during the attack, remains missing.
This latest killing comes on the heels of last month’s politically motivated violence in the same area, which left another person dead and properties worth millions destroyed.
The banishment further intensified existing tensions, now worsened by this recent fatal shooting.
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