Three die, 15 injured in Anambra communal clash

Tony Okafor, Awka

Three persons were reportedly killed on Friday in a land feud between Urum and Achalla communities in the Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

This was the second time the two communities clashed this week. The first attack was on Wednesday.

It was learnt that the two communities disputed over a parcel of land on their boundary for years.

The traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Emmanuel Nweke, confirmed the incident.

“It’s like a war, with repeated shootings and invasion of our land by our neighbours,” he said.

He said many members of his community fled the place for other areas for fear of being attacked.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Haruna, said the command had not been briefed on the number of casualties, adding that policemen had been deployed in the area to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

He added, “The command has dispatched a joint police team comprising PMF (Police Mobile Force)/SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) and other conventional units led by the Awka area commander, Yemi Ajayi.

“The situation was brought under control while a joint patrol is still ongoing to restore normalcy to the affected areas.”

Haruna added that the state Commissioner of Police, John Abang, had directed the state Criminal Investigation Department in Awka to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring the perpetrators to book.

Our correspondent gathered that Abang held a meeting with the leaders of the communities last week where he enjoined the feuding parties to explore legal options to resolve their differences.

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