Panic has gripped residents of Ekoli in Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State after suspected armed men killed one person and injured several others in a fresh outbreak of violence.
Eyewitnesses alleged that a local group known as the Catcham Boys was responsible for the killing of a man identified as Udu Nnachi Uzor, who was attacked in his home at Ndenworo village.
The attackers were said to have been accompanied by individuals dressed in military and police uniforms.
Uzor’s wife, Onyinye, who witnessed the gruesome incident, recounted how the armed men, numbering about 20, stormed their residence around midday, asked for her husband, and shot him dead inside their home.
She identified one of the attackers as a known Catcham member called “Deri.” She confirmed that her husband’s body has since been deposited at the mortuary.
A community leader, Chief Etta Egor, expressed deep concern over the activities of the Catcham group, describing them as a vigilante unit that has been terrorizing the area.
“We saw them enter the villages carrying pump-action guns alongside uniformed police officers and soldiers. Shortly after, gunshots erupted. By the time we arrived at Nnachi Uzor’s house, he was already dead, and his family was in tears,” Egor said.
He questioned the continued presence and actions of the group, accusing the authorities of turning a blind eye to the violence being unleashed on innocent residents.
Sources also disclosed that a MAC truck, allegedly belonging to a former local government chairman, was hijacked during the attack and is yet to be recovered.