Communal Crisis: Ex-Edda Council Chairman Banished For Seven Years, To Pay ₦106m

A former chairman of Edda local government area in Ebonyi State and erstwhile member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Eni Uduma Chima, has been banished from Ekoli Edda Community for seven years, following his alleged promotion of communal crisis in the area.

THEWILL reported that after a mid-year town hall meeting comprising of elders, youths and women, at Eji Udo Eme Hall in Amueke village, Ekoli-Edda, they resolved to banish him.

According to them, the former council chairman will also pay the sum of one hundred and six million naira (N106 million) for the houses, cars, treatment of wounded persons, properties looted and destroyed during the crisis, which said has plagued the community for over 15 years.

Addressing journalists immediately after the town hall meeting, the traditional ruler of Ekoli-Edda, His Royal Majesty, Eze Igwe John Igwe, said the insecurity in Ekoli Edda Community could be traced to Barr. Eni Uduma Chima and his younger brother, Barr Uduma Chima Uduma.

He explained the magnitude of their unacceptable actions, saying, “Much harm has been done to this community and after they were listed, we traced the source of this insecurity to, and prominent to it all is the activities of Hon. Barr. Eni Uduma Chima and his brother, Barr. Uduma Chima Uduma, who happen to be promoters of insecurity in this place.”

He stated that the community, through the instrumentality of the traditional authorities, banished Eni Uduma Chima for inflicting injuries to many persons and dehumanising the traditional institution.

“We used our traditional authorities. One, we said he has to offer restitution. We said the amount involved and asked for him to make up what the value is. He should return such money to the society because he inflicted a lot of injuries to many persons and we want them to be settled.

“We also banished him from coming to this community because he is inciting violence. The so called amnesty boys. He comes in here often and mostly at night and hold clandestine meetings and charges them to inflict injuries on perceived enemies. This he has done persistently even after amnesty has been granted.

“And so that is why we are saying that with all the injuries he has inflicted and in fact committed a lot of abominations, fighting Ndieze. We have done him no wrong and that is why we banished him for seven years. Even if he has paid the amount, he is not supposed to come into the community, until he shows a change.

“For over 15 years, this community has known no peace, and we have narrowed the root cause to Eni Uduma and his brother. Today, the community has risen to say, enough is enough”, the monarch declared.

He added, “We want to restore dignity to our traditional institutions, which have been disrespected and desecrated by his actions. The unanimous decision is not just a punishment but a path to restoring peace and unity in our land.”

Also speaking, the President of Ekoli Band of Hope, Mr Samuel Kalu, said that the banishment was a swift response to the persistent unrest allegedly orchestrated by Eni Uduma and his younger brother, which resulted in massive destruction, injuries, and looting in the community.

“So, today, the high point of today’s decision was that we have gone through the crisis the community has been passing through all this while. And, if you look at the way we’ve seen them, we’ve narrowed it down to one person, and that one person is Eni Uduma Chima and his brother.

“Starting from, let’s say, 15 years ago, the community had not known peace because of Eni Uduma Chima. Today, the community has come together to say enough is enough. Among other things that happened today was, we look at the recent crisis in the community that started on May 12th and ended on May 19th, and another one that started on June 1st and ended on June 8th.

“A lot of houses, the cars, people were injured, the properties were looted. And we look at the material cost of all these items. It costs in excess of N106 million, because of the violence instigated by Eni Uduma Chima and his younger brother, Uduma Chima.

“Today, we rose in one voice. We will not allow this to continue. So, it was agreed today that Eni Uduma Chima must pay the cost of all the damages he caused by himself. That’s about N106 million. And until he pays it, he will not step his feet in the community. The community is ready and willing to go to any length to execute this.”

He stressed that the decision to ban him was a unanimous one endorsed by all 12 component villages, town unions, elders, youths, and women groups.

Also speaking, Mr Emma Ndukwe, a former Liaison Officer to the Senate President and Governor, described the meeting as a strategic mid-year assembly aimed at charting a new course for peace and development in the community.

“Peace and security are paramount. This banishment is part of the community’s effort to safeguard its future and protect its people”, Ndukwe stated.

The leaders of Ekoli Edda thanked Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, for his past interventions in supporting peace efforts, including the presentation of a staff of office to the community’s traditional ruler and facilitating the election of a substantive town union executive.

Efforts to get the reaction of Eni Uduma Chima as at press time was unsuccessful.

© Guardian Newspaper.