By Cajetan Mmuta
Tension has continued to brew among farmers and residents of Ayamelum local government area in Anambra state following the gruesome murder of a middle-aged farmer, Mr. Okoye Tagbo by yet-to-be-identified assailants.
Findings revealed that killers of the deceased had after the heinous crime buried his remains in a shallow grave near the scene of the incident.
Sadly also, the body of the man was decapitated with his head, heart, hands, feet, and genital organs missing.
The development had fuelled speculations that he (Tagbo) was murdered by those suspected to be alleged warlords from the neighboring Anaku community.
Already, some Anaku residents have reportedly fled their homes to avoid attest.
It was gathered that tension increased in the area following speculations that Omor youths had mobilized themselves to launch a revenge attack against Anaku people over Tagbo’s killing.
It would be recalled that Anaku (the headquarters of the LGA) and Omor (a popular town) communities have remained at daggers drawn over ownership of disputed border farmland between them.
Investigations showed that efforts to resolve the lingering land tussle has been a herculean task and led to alleged abduction and killing of Omor indigenous by suspected Anaku youths which were said to have continued to ignite tension with the recent incident in mid-May 2021 that culminated in wanton destruction of property in both communities.
However, Mr Tagbo who hails from Umuokpanta, Orenja village in Omor was said to have gone to his farm close to the disputed farmland near the Anaku-Omor boundary to harvest cassava on January 10, 2022, and never returned.
Members of his family reportedly raised the alarm when the deceased with nine children failed to return at nightfall, forcing the village to launch a frantic search for him.
It was learned that the sudden discovery of Mr. Tagbo’s headless body in a shallow grave inside his farm with vital organs, including hands, feet, and genital missing sent shockwaves across the Omor community.
According to High Johnson Ifejika, a close relative the deceased farmer, “We found Tagbo buried in a shallow grave in the farm where he was harvesting cassava. The dead body, which we exhumed in the presence of police and military operatives that joined us in the search was without a head, genital organ, hands and legs and the heart”.
He explained that the decapitated body of the victim has been deposited in the mortuary.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Anaku, had ordered Anaku leaders to produce the suspects behind the murder.
Also, the traditional ruler of the Omor kingdom, HRH Igwe (Dr) Chris Oranu Chidume, in reaction condemned the constant abduction and killing of Omor indigenes by alleged suspected Anaku people for alleged ritual sacrifices.
The monarch said, “This continuous killing of Ndi-Omor is certainly not a welcomed development. I condemn it in totality and so should every well-meaning citizen of Ayamelum because it’s an ill-wind that blows no one good.”
According to him, “I’m equally seizing this opportunity to appeal to Ndi-Anaku to do away with this their Ekwensu deity that was demanding for human sacrifice. It’s not a modern religious practice and this constant killing of people is enough reason for them to abolish it and am also appealing to the government to consider abolishing the shrine.
In addition, Eze Anaukwu appealed to his subjects to refrain from any revenge attack over the incident.
He said, “I am asking Ndi-Omor to refrain from any revenge attack and hand over everything to God, including investigation. Nobody should take laws into his hand. It does not pay to do so. Let us have absolute trust in the state government to do justice in this matter.”
“To the family that lost their breadwinner, I condole with them and ask them to take heart that God will be with them, while we continue to hope that government will do the needful”, the monarch adds.”
Further findings showed that anti-riot security operatives deployed to the troubled area have maintained conspicuous presence to avert any form of retaliation of the gruesome murder of Mr. Tagbo.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Ikenga Tochukwu when contacted confirmed the incident.
He said that the corpse has been exhumed deposited at the morgue for autopsy.
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He said that the cause of the death of the man has not been ascertained as the investigation was on to know actual the cause of his death.
“Yes, our Divisional Police station in Anaku discovered a corpse of a man on the farm at Omor. For now, we cannot ascertain the cause of his death but his corpse has been deposited at the morgue for onward autopsy. We are calling on the people of the community to volunteer information that will be helpful to the police in the cause of our investigation.”
The com a d added rhta “The place is calm as police command has drafted some policemen to the area to maintain law and order”.
