Naijacentral Naijacentral
By Naijacentral
Peace is gradually returning to Akpakwume community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State following a prolonged crisis linked to mining activities and disputes over the traditional leadership structure.
A prominent member of the community, Chief Livinus Okolo, popularly known as “Zion,” disclosed this in an interview on Monday in Enugu.
Okolo who deals on real estate, said that community leaders, security officials religious leaders and those in diaspora had initiated peace measures aimed at ending the violence that previously rocked the area.
According to him, part of the peace agreement requires individuals in possession of illegal firearms to surrender them to designated community elders.
“Those guns they used to shoot police officers and our people, if they have no licence, they should go and drop them with the eldest in their family. The Divisional Police Officer was present when we agreed on this,” he said.
He added that those allegedly involved in the killing of a community member would not be allowed to return home for the time being, while other residents displaced by the crisis could return for family activities such as burials.
Okolo said the community also agreed to seal the reconciliation process with a covenant pledging that no resident of Akpakwume would shed the blood of another.
“We are going to have a covenant that no Akpakwume man will see his brother’s blood. Anyone trying to incite violence will be cautioned,” he said.
Okolo expressed optimism that the reconciliation process would lead to lasting peace in the community.
“This crisis has brought a lesson to our people. Now we are seeing peace gradually return,” he said.
He explained that the state government intervened earlier in the crisis by suspending the traditional ruler of the community.
According to him, the government directed the community’s prime minister (Onowu) to oversee affairs pending further decisions.
He added that the suspended ruler later resigned from the position following advice from authorities.
Okolo, who described himself as the Prime Minister of the Akpakwume Ancient Kingdom, traced the root of the crisis to disputes that arose after large coal deposits were reportedly discovered in the community.
According to him, the discovery led to disagreements over consent documents relating to mining rights and the involvement of government and private companies.
He alleged that tensions escalated after the traditional ruler allegedly replaced the entire cabinet of community leaders against the provisions of the community constitution.
“The constitution of the community states that cabinet members can only be removed by the villages that produced them. But the whole cabinet was changed,” Okolo said.
He said attempts by some residents to stop the inauguration of the new cabinet triggered protests that later turned violent.
“During the unrest, several houses and properties were destroyed, including Okolo’s residence.
“My house was burned. I have a duplex and other buildings there. They destroyed them,” he said.
He disclosed that the conflict later intensified when security operatives reportedly came to arrest suspects connected to earlier acts of violence.
Okolo alleged that some attackers opened fire on the police, injuring several officers.
“Five policemen were shot during the operation. They were taken to the police clinic for treatment,” he said.
He also claimed that a member of the community, identified as Francis Aniagoro, was abducted and killed during the crisis.
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