The Isi-Uzo Local Government Council has clarified the Tuesday protest by some women of Eha-Amufu communities, blaming it on deliberate misinformation and politicisation of security matters in the Local Government Area, LGA, by some political actors.
The Council explained that the recent video of women protesting alleged killings by herders in the Eha-Amufu community was propelled by “total misinformation” and not a true reflection of current security realities in Isi-Uzo LGA since Governor Peter Mbah’s assumption of office.
The Council’s position and clarifications were contained in a statement personally issued by the Council Chairman, Barr. Obiora Obeagu, on Wednesday.
Obeagu rued what he described as a callous attempt to dent and enmesh in controversy through acts of misinformation and calculated hate campaigns the many critical infrastructural and development interventions and initiatives by the governor in Eha-Amufu such as the landmark 21.7km Agape-Agu Mgbuji-Ogbete Road, Produce City, deployment of over 100 military and security personnel, plans for permanent security camps, among others.
“Yesterday, Tuesday, 4th March 2025, I had the opportunity of meeting with the protesting Eha-Ohuala women who came from Eha-Amufu to my office at Isi-Uzo Local Government headquarters, Ikem.
“They made a series of shocking revelations, which clearly showed that their emotions were stirred by false narratives and information by some political actors.
“In particular, despite previous stakeholders’ engagements by the state government, they were misinformed that all cows in the Eha-Amufu farm settlement belong to the government, hence the planned ranching project and that the Farm Estate and Produce City projects by the state government were a ploy by the government to take over their lands and hand over to herders from a particular tribe, thus they do not want the government to site any projects in our communities.
“Again, as could be easily deciphered from the trending videos, complaints from the women bordered on the incidents that happened in the farm settlements some years ago and how the government should help them relocate permanently to their farms again,” he stated.
Continuing, he said, “I, therefore, wish to categorically state that the protest that happened on Tuesday was a sponsored protest and political propaganda orchestrated by mischievous elements and enemies of progress, who fed the protesting women with lies and false information for political capital.
“We acknowledge that there was an unfortunate incident of rape on 17th February, 2025. I took up the hospital bills, and the woman has been discharged, but the narrative of insertion of the stick in the private part is false.”
“We acknowledge that we have had incidents of farmers/herders clashes across the communities of Isi-Uzo LGA sharing borders with Benue and Ebonyi States dating back to over 15 years.
“However, the Governor Peter Mbah Administration has been working relentlessly with Isi-Uzo Local Government to tackle and put an end to this problem in our farm settlements and other security challenges through far-reaching security interventions, infrastructural development, and agricultural projects such as the Produce Cities, Farm Estates, and other projects to ensure productive use and effective governance of all spaces for socio-economic growth of the state.
“Contrary to the claims in the protest videos and other false narratives such as the recent sponsored reports to portray killings in Nkalaeha, a neighbouring Ebonyi community, as an incident that happened in Eha-Amufu, the current state administration has gone a long way in restoring order, peace, and security in Eha-Amufu and Isi-Uzo. One of the key testaments is that there is no longer a single Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the entire Isi-Uzo since a few months after the governor was sworn in. Our people are in their homes, unlike in 2022 when traditional rulers and religious leaders relocated from Eha-Amufu to other towns and cities”.
The Council admonished “those that promote crisis and instigate protest to desist from such actions in their own interest and in the interest of our communities.”
Meanwhile, an Eha-Amufu-based clergy and some political actors named by the women as sponsors of the protests are expected to face investigation by security agencies.
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