15 Years After Ezillo War, Displaced Ezza Community Seeks Nwifuru’s Help to Return Home
Nkechinyere Ewa
The people of Aguonwenkeya Ezza Iyionu community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have appealed to Governor Francis Nwifuru to facilitate their reintegration into their ancestral settlement following their displacement during the 2008 Ezillo/Ezza-Ezillo communal war.
The crisis, which occurred about 15 years ago, reportedly claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed property worth billions of naira, leaving many residents homeless.
The appeal was contained in a letter dated March 9, 2026, written on behalf of the community by their lawyer, Sampson Ekigbo.
In the letter, the community urged the state government to urgently intervene in what it described as the prolonged displacement of its people for more than a decade and a half.
According to the petition, Aguonwenkeya Ezza Iyionu community originally settled on a parcel of land known as Mgba Abazi, located between Abam and Abazi streams in the Ishielu area.
The letter explained that the land was historically granted to Ezza settlers by the Iyionu community many decades ago.
It stated that Ezza warriors were invited in the past to defend the Iyionu people from external attackers and that after the threat was repelled, the Iyionu elders reportedly allowed the warriors to settle permanently on the land.
According to the community, the arrangement was initially sealed through traditional oaths and later formalised in a written deed dated May 2, 1967.
The agreement, the petition noted, granted the Ezza settlers the right to live, farm, build and develop the land jointly with the grantors.
The letter further stated that the settlement later developed into a thriving community with the establishment of social and religious institutions, including St. Anastasia Catholic Church, Assemblies of God Church, Methodist Church and Anglican Church.
It also mentioned commercial centres such as Nweke Ndegu Market and Nwankwo Market as part of the community’s development before the crisis.
However, the petition stated that the community was displaced in 2008 following the outbreak of the Ezillo/Ezza-Ezillo communal crisis.
“Aguonwenkeya Ezza Iyionu became a victim of circumstance due to the fact that they are of Ezza extraction as the Ezillo warlords invaded the community with sophisticated weapons and senselessly killed several persons,” the letter stated.
It listed some of the victims as Sunday Martin, Chukwuma Nwali, Sunday Nwankwo, Nwafor Chukwu and Nwali Ngwuta.
The community alleged that armed attackers invaded the area, killing several residents and forcing others to flee to neighbouring communities such as Azuinyaba and Ogbagu Ezza Iyionu.
The petition further alleged that after the residents fled, properties including vehicles, motorcycles, cassava grinding machines and livestock were looted.
It also claimed that parts of the deserted community were later used for mining and quarrying activities.
According to the petition, the excavation allegedly caused environmental damage that destroyed several houses and left parts of the community submerged.
The community said displaced residents had written several petitions to previous administrations seeking intervention but that the situation had remained unresolved.
It also alleged that a government delegation visited the disputed area on January 12, 2024, without the knowledge of representatives of the Aguonwenkeya community.
In their appeal to Governor Nwifuru, the community requested that the state government conduct an official assessment of the affected area.
They also called for official recognition and accommodation of Aguonwenkeya Ezza Iyionu community in the proposed land demarcation between Iyionu and Ezillo communities to enable them return peacefully.
The community further appealed for adequate reintegration, rehabilitation and compensation to help the displaced residents rebuild their lives after more than 15 years of displacement.
The letter expressed hope that the peace initiatives of the Nwifuru administration would help resolve the matter and allow the affected residents to return to their homes.
