EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA — Tension has gripped Ihetutu community in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, following the alleged killing of two young men by soldiers reportedly attached to a mining company operating in the area.
The victims, identified as Chibuike Elema, 18, and Obinna Joshua, 19, were reportedly shot dead around midday on Sunday at a mining site operated by Palladium Mining Company.
According to accounts given by the victims’ families and community leaders, the incident occurred after the soldiers allegedly demanded money from the youths while they were returning from work. The youths reportedly told the soldiers they had no money, after which the soldiers allegedly opened fire on them.
However, the circumstances surrounding the shooting have yet to be independently established, and the allegations have not been officially confirmed by the relevant security authorities.
The killings have sparked outrage among residents, with grieving families and community members calling on the Ebonyi State Government and relevant security agencies to investigate the incident and ensure that anyone found responsible is brought to justice.
Donatus Okoro, father of Chibuike Elema, said his son had left home on Sunday morning to work at the mining site but never returned alive.
According to Okoro, witnesses told him that soldiers attached to the mining company allegedly demanded money from the youths before shooting them in the head.
He appealed to the state government to ensure a thorough investigation into his son’s death.
The second victim, Obinna Joshua, was reportedly a second-year university student and the son of the serving councillor representing Ihetutu community in Ivo Local Government Area.
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The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ihetutu Community Development Union, Prince Fabian Chukwu, condemned the incident and called for urgent government intervention.
Chukwu argued that even if the youths were suspected of committing an offence, they should have been arrested and handed over to the police rather than allegedly being shot dead.
He also expressed concern over the relationship between the community and the mining company, alleging that tensions had increased over the company’s operations and control of the mining site.
Similarly, Eze Ifeyinwa, a former secretary of the women’s wing of the Ihetutu Community Development Union, accused the mining company and security personnel of subjecting residents to unfair treatment.
She called on the government to investigate the killings and review the continued operations of the company and the security personnel at the site.
Reacting to the development, the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, said he had yet to receive an official report on the incident from the Divisional Police Officer responsible for the area.
The absence of an official police report leaves key details surrounding the incident awaiting clarification.
The alleged killings have renewed concerns among residents about the conduct of security personnel deployed to protect mining operations and the use of lethal force against civilians.
Community members are urging the Ebonyi State Government, the police and other relevant authorities to establish the facts surrounding the shooting, identify those responsible if wrongdoing is established, and take appropriate action in accordance with the law.
As the families mourn the loss of the two young men, residents are also calling for measures to prevent a recurrence and restore calm in Ihetutu community.
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