Magistrate escapes death, police station, schools, court shut down in Enugu/Kogi boundry dispute

Peace has practically taken flight from Ette, a border community sandwiched in-between Umuopu Umueze in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State and Ogugu community in Olamaboro Local Government Area, of Kogi State.

 Indigenes of the community are divided on which side of the di­vide they want to belong. While some want to be part of Enugu State, others want to go to Kogi State.

 And this has resulted into constant fracas and misunder­standing leading to destruction of property.

 Right now, there is tension and apprehension in the community while the Catholic Christians in the area are the worst hit.


What started as a small agitation for some years now by some youths in the community who want their town (Ette) to be excised from Enugu State and joined to Kogi State has as­sumed a frightening dimension in the past three years.

 At the last count, all government pres­ence and establishments in the area have either been destroyed or closed down indefinitely.

Some prominent people of the community including five traditional rulers and political office holders in Ette who pledge allegiance to the Enugu State government have not only lost their household property to the activities of the militant wing of the pro Kogi youths but they have also fled home for their own safety.

The Catholic Christians in the area have been facing seri­ous harassment and brutality allegedly in the hands of the pro Kogi youths but the worst happened when celebration of Masses on Sundays and week days were abruptly stopped while the Parish Priest of the church, St James the Apostle, Rev. Fr. Dr. Sabastine Onah was sacked from the Parish House while property of the church and the Parish Rectory were vandalized. 

For his safety, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Dio­cese, Most Rev. (Prof) Gregory Onah recalled Fr. Sabastine to the Catholic Secretariat in Nsukka and the priest has since become an itinerant preacher without a parish while also handling any other assignment given to him by the Bishop pending the resolution of the crisis.

Though efforts are being made presently to restore peace in the community, serious dam­age have been done already. 

Sunday Sun reporter who visited the community recently for an on the spot assess­ment also escaped danger by whiskers after he took pictures of the Church building and the sign post.

Some red eyed youths who became suspicious instantly gave the reporter a hot chase and if not for the adept moves of the hired commercial motor cyclist that conveyed the reporter to the place, the story would have been different.

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