A woman identified as Mrs. Ikwor Nkechinyere, a grandmother in her late sixties, has been declared missing after gunmen invaded Akanto-Ndukwe-Amasiri Farm Settlement in the Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Reports indicate that the victim was working on her cassava farm alongside her seven-year-old granddaughter when the assailants stormed the area. The child narrowly escaped, while the grandmother was abducted by the attackers, whose identities remain unknown.
Confirming the incident, Afikpo Local Government Chairman, Hon. Timothy Nwachi, described the abduction as “tragic,” noting that security agencies have been deployed to track down the kidnappers and ensure the safe release of the victim.
“We’ve met with community stakeholders and security operatives to restore peace in the area. I’ve also directed that they liaise with Edda LGA counterparts for the possible rescue of the abducted grandmother,” Nwachi said.
The Leader of Essa Ruling Council, Chief Ezeaba Samuel Uchenna, a retired sanitarian, narrated that the armed men emerged from the bush, firing shots before taking the elderly woman away.
He recounted that several violent clashes had occurred in the disputed farmland between Amasiri and Edda communities, resulting in previous deaths — including a retired soldier and his wife whose remains are still missing.
“We were told that the attackers destroyed a World Health Organisation (WHO)-built health centre in the area before the abduction happened,” Chief Uchenna added.
However, a native of Oso Edda community, who requested anonymity, denied the allegation that anyone from their area was involved in the abduction.
“We only heard gunshots from the Amasiri axis and saw people running for safety, but no one from our side kidnapped any grandmother,” the source said.
Security agencies are said to be intensifying efforts to locate and rescue the missing woman as tensions remain high in the affected communities.
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