Ebonyi Killings: Two Traditional Rulers Detained as Police Probe Beheadings in Edda Land Dispute

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The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two traditional rulers and a local development coordinator in connection with the gruesome killing of four persons during a violent attack in Edda Local Government Area.

The suspects—identified as traditional rulers Onyaidam Bassey and Godfrey Oko-Obia from Amasiri in Afikpo Local Government Area, along with Anya Baron-Ogbonnia, Coordinator of Amasiri Development Centre—were detained following a joint security operation involving the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

According to the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, the arrests stem from the January 29, 2026 attack on Okporojor village in Oso Edda community. Suspected assailants from the neighboring Amasiri community reportedly invaded the area, beheaded four victims (three males and one female), set houses ablaze, destroyed property including a church building and harvested crops, and caused widespread panic.

Ukandu noted that 10 other suspects had been arrested earlier in connection with the incident, bringing the total in custody to over a dozen as investigations continue.

The attack is the latest escalation in a protracted boundary and farmland dispute between the communities of Oso Edda (Edda LGA) and Amasiri (Afikpo LGA), which has claimed lives and property over the years.

In a swift response, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru ordered the immediate dethronement of traditional rulers in the Amasiri clan, withdrawal of their certificates of recognition and staff of office, dissolution of the Amasiri Town Development Union and its executive, removal of village heads, and the sacking of political appointees from the area, including the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka. The governor described the incident as unacceptable and vowed that perpetrators would face full prosecution.

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