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…as Amasiri daughter, Joy Idam, accuse state government of alleged collective punishment, rights abuse,  land grab

…appeal to global community to intervene

By Gloria Ikibah

Amasiri community in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, has raised alarm over what it described as an alleged military invasion, systematic persecution and attempted erasure of its people, calling on the international community, the media and human rights bodies to intervene urgently.

Speaking at a world press conference, Comrade Joy Idam, a daughter of the Amasiri clan, accused the Ebonyi State Government and security forces of alleged collective punishment following the killing of four elderly persons from the neighbouring Eda community—an incident she said Amasiri people were wrongly blamed for without evidence.

“You may know him by the cover of the state magazine, what’s his name again? And his comment was that four persons of elder descent had been beheaded,.

“On getting there, Amasiri, my community, was accused of being involved with the killings despite no video evidence, no account evidence of the said dastardly act” Idam said.

She stressed that the community condemned the killings, insisting that no life should be taken regardless of origin, but said the response that followed amounted to victimisation.

“Before now, there have been cases of Amasiri people being killed, being abducted from their farmlands. My people are predominantly farmers,” she said, adding that several petitions had been written over the years with no response from successive governments.

Idam alleged that despite these unresolved cases, the current Ebonyi State administration labelled Amasiri people as barbarians.

“My governor went to a forum and declared my people as barbarians.

“The same people for which one of them was his professor and lecturer. He wasn’t a barbarian then, but suddenly all my people have become barbarians,” she said.

She further alleged that Amasiri was recently removed as a recognised development centre in the state, describing it as a deliberate act of erasure.

“So Amasiri has been erased from the map of Ebonyi State.

“As we speak, there are over 300 soldiers in Amasiri. There was no war. There was no crisis,” she said.

Idam questioned the logic behind accusing Amasiri people of the killings, noting that the day the four elders were murdered coincided with multiple burials in her community.

“On that day, Amasiri had 20 burials going on simultaneously.

“Would somebody leave a burial to go and kill somebody, for Christ’s sake?,” she asked.

She traced the roots of the conflict to a long-standing land dispute involving Oso and Okorojo lands, which she said historically belonged to Amasiri, alleging that Eda settlers later laid claim to the land.

“Where is it ever heard of that a tenant suddenly becomes landlord?” she asked.

Idam also narrated alleged incidents of past attacks on Amasiri people, including the killing of a retired warrant officer.

“What was his crime? He’s an Amasiri man. They beheaded him, his wife and the wife’s younger sister. He did not die in service. He was killed for being Amasiri”, she said.

She accused soldiers of human rights violations, including burning farm produce, destroying homes and shooting at women protesters.

“The army set ablaze bags of rice that women had harvested.

“When women peacefully protested, the army opened fire. One woman was shot in the head and later died from excessive bleeding. The videos are there”, she alleged.

According to her, young men have fled the community out of fear.

“As I speak with you, all the young men from Amasiri are either in the forest or hiding under overhead bridges in neighbouring communities,” she said.

Idam further alleged discrimination against Amasiri children and students.

“A teacher from my community was told no child of Amasiri should be registered.

“Students from Amasiri in Ebonyi State University are allegedly denied access to classes once their origin is identified,” she claimed.

Responding to questions from journalists, she defended her decision to speak alone at the briefing.

She promised to provide video evidence of some of the alleged statements and incidents.

“I am addressing this press conference as a proud daughter of Amasiri community.

“My people are involved, and I have every right to speak.”

“I will get the video clips. I will share them,” she said.

On arrests, Idam alleged that more than 30 youths had been detained.

“More than 30 youths from Amasiri were arrested by the army.

“They were doing random arrests, which is why others fled,” she said.

She denied knowledge of any arrests related to the killings of the four elders and said casualty figures from alleged attacks on Amasiri people were difficult to quantify.

“The numbers are many. I can’t give a specific figure,” she said.

She concluded with a list of demands, including the immediate withdrawal of soldiers from Amasiri, reinstatement of allegedly disbanded appointees, release of detained traditional rulers and officials, reopening of schools, and an end to what she described as witch-hunting of Amasiri people.

“Even if you put a gun to my head, I am a free and proud daughter of Amasiri, and I must speak up.

“Amasiri people are not bad people. We are not wicked people. We deserve justice,” she said.