In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the President General of Effium community, Dr James Agena, claimed the attackers, suspected to be Ezza warriors, struck the village in the early morning of Sunday. The statement reads: “I write to put you on notice that this morning at about 3 am, Ezza warriors attacked Ikachi village in the Akparata area of Effium, resulting in the killing and beheading of two men. Seven Effium natives were abducted .
I call on the government of Ebonyi State and the security agencies to promptly arrest and prosecute all those involved in the genocidal act. “This is equally coming on the heels of an invitation by the new peace committee on Tuesday, the 21st of May 2024, for the reading of the government's White Paper on the Effium crisis to the two warring factions.” The crisis, which started in 2021, has claimed many lives, displaced many and caused the destruction of property worth billions of naira.