Two youths have reportedly been shot dead by suspected soldiers attached to a mining company in Ihetutu community, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, triggering outrage and calls for an impartial investigation.
The victims were identified as 18-year-old Chibuike Elema and 19-year-old Obinna Joshua. They were reportedly killed around midday on Sunday, October 18, at a mining site operated by Palladium Mining Company.
According to accounts provided by residents and the father of one of the deceased, the youths were allegedly returning from work when security personnel attached to the mining operation demanded money from them.
The allegations suggest that the soldiers opened fire after the young men said they had no money to give them.
The incident has plunged the community into mourning, with residents, women and community leaders calling on the Ebonyi State Government and relevant security authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Donatus Okoro, the father of Chibuike Elema, said his son had left home on Sunday morning after being asked to join other workers at the mining site.
He said he was later informed by eyewitnesses that his son and the second victim encountered soldiers attached to Palladium Mining Company while returning from work.
According to Okoro, the security personnel allegedly demanded money from the youths before shooting them when they said they had nothing to offer.
He said the victims were reportedly shot in the head.
The grieving father appealed to the Ebonyi State Government to ensure that the incident was thoroughly investigated and that anyone found responsible was brought to justice.
Obinna Joshua, the second victim, was identified as the son of the serving councillor representing Ihetutu community in Ivo LGA. He was reportedly a second-year university student.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ihetutu Community Development Union, Prince Fabian Chukwu, condemned the alleged killings and called for urgent government intervention.
Chukwu argued that security personnel assigned to protect mining operations should not take the law into their own hands.
He maintained that even if the youths had been suspected of wrongdoing, they should have been arrested and handed over to the police rather than subjected to lethal force.
The community leader also expressed concern over the relationship between residents and the mining company, alleging that tensions had increased following changes in the management or operational control of the mining site.
According to Chukwu, Palladium Mining Company had operated in the community for about five years or longer.
He alleged that the company’s owner, Victor Nwokeji, took over the mining operation from Gexpam Mining Company after initially becoming involved as a partner in a lead-zinc mining concession in Ihetutu.
Chukwu further claimed that the operation was being conducted under the name Ambertone Logistics Ltd, which he described as another arm of Palladium Mining Company.
The claims regarding the companies’ operational arrangements have not been independently established in this report.
Chukwu urged the state government to intervene before the situation deteriorated further. He also appealed to the bereaved families and other residents to remain calm while the community seeks justice.
Mrs Ifeyinwa Eze, a former secretary of the women’s wing of the Ihetutu Community Development Union, also called for an investigation into the incident.
Eze accused the mining company and security personnel of treating members of the community unfairly and demanded a review of their continued operations in the area.
She urged the government to examine the activities of the company and the security personnel deployed to protect the mining site.
Eze questioned why the youths’ presence at the mining location on a Sunday should be considered suspicious, explaining that male miners in the community normally worked on Sundays.
She insisted that the circumstances surrounding the deaths required urgent clarification and called on the authorities to take the community’s concerns seriously.
The alleged killings have renewed concerns about the conduct of security personnel assigned to mining operations and the protection of residents living in host communities.
Community members are asking the Ebonyi State Government and relevant security agencies to establish what happened at the mining site, determine whether any laws were violated and ensure accountability where wrongdoing is established.
They are also seeking measures to prevent similar incidents and ease tensions between the community, the mining company and security personnel.
As the families of Chibuike Elema and Obinna Joshua mourn their losses, residents of Ihetutu continue to demand answers and justice.
The allegations surrounding the shootings require an impartial investigation, and the responsibility of any individual or organisation involved must be determined through established legal procedures.
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