Police in Ebonyi state, have arrested alleged murder and kidnap suspect who was accused of abducting and killing of five people from Enyigba village in Izzi local government area, which triggered the recent clash between the people of Izzi and Ikwo local government areas of Ebonyi state.
The suspect, Daniel Igwe was taken to government house on Tuesday, during a meeting with Governor Umahi, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and stakeholders from both local government areas.
The people of Enyigba and their neighbouring Echi-alike, Ikwo local government area of the state have been at war for years over land dispute.
The crisis worsened last month when six children including an elderly man were abducted by suspected warlords.
Governor David Umahi, gave the warlords seven days to release the abducted persons but at the expiration of the seven days, the abducted persons were not released.
Igwe, was arrested for killing the missing five persons between the ages of 6 and 60.
The state Commissioner of Police, Garba Aliyu, at the meeting stated: “This is the culprit, but he was insisting they were five in number. That four of them, ages from 6 to 12 while the last person amongst them was an elderly person of about 60 years old.
“He confessed along with others that they actually did what they had to do, killed the five persons from Izzi and from there they took them on a wheelbarrow and deposited them in the shallow of a river.
“We are trying everything possible to uncover the exact place, we went along with him, we are still going back because he has mentioned alot of others who are his accomplices .
“He still mentioned the arms and ammunitions they used on that day and finished the five persons they adopted”.
Umahi sued for peace between the two LGAs, stating said the blood of those killed would always speak for them.
He said: “I want the Izzi people to know that government of Ebonyi state, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Ikwo people have kept to their words by arresting the Chief culprit. I was told that others were at large, but we are looking for them we have dispatched people to those areas to look for them. The blood of those people will speak for them”.
the suspect, Daniel Igwe while answering questions from the Governor, denied involvement in the killings.
He said: ” My name is Daniel Igwe, a farmer, they were four with one old man. The Coordinator called me to go and stop them from killing those people but before I could reach there they had already killed them.
“They were fighting for land, had it been that I reached there when they were alive I would have known if they were caught on the land but on getting there I saw them already killed and I got annoyed and left. I called the Coordinator and told him that I did not see them. I don’t know why they were killed”.