New yam festival turns bloody in Ebonyi community as Police disrupt celebration

No fewer than 10 persons sustained injuries and many others, hospitalised in Ihie village, Ishiagu Autonomous community Ivo Local government Area of Ebonyi State.

pandemonium broke out on Saturday in the community when a team of policemen from the state command stormed the Area and disrupted its new yam festival.

It was further learnt that the community was almost in a celebratory mood with canopies mounted and other arrangements concluded waiting for the commencement of the event when policemen armed to teeth came into the area with five branded Hilux vans and destroyed all the items prepared for the celebration.

Items damaged include; sound systems, plastic chairs, canopies, tables, electricity-generating sets and other valuables.

The policemen also carted away cannon guns that the people planted on the ground for the celebration.

The policemen, on sighting journalists, warned them not to take any pictures in the community and ordered them out of the area.

Immediately the Journalists left the area to a neighbouring community and the policemen began firing teargas and destroying many things put in place for the celebration.

Women who were preparing food for the New Yam Festival were teargassed.

Also, a sick young lady, Peculiar Ajah who was receiving treatment inside her room, was teargassed.

“I was on a drip on my bed inside our room when the policemen were shooting the teargas. They shot the teargas directly at our house and I started losing breath until I was smuggled out of the house”, she stated.

A 77-year-old man in the community, Leonard Ekeh described the incident as a desecration of the culture of the community and called on the state Commissioner of Police to investigate the matter.

He said ” I am not happy with what the policemen did in my community. How can you come into our community and disrupt our culture?

“We have never witnessed this type of thing in our community and I call the Commissioner of Police to investigate what those policemen did.

” I was not around when the policemen were firing the teargas. I would have asked them to fire me, I am ready to die, I am ready to die for my people. At 77 years, I can’t fear anybody “.

President General of the community, Ume Cletus said every 29th September is designed for a new yam festival by the community and wondered why the festival was disrupted.

He alleged that the traditional ruler of the community has been fomenting trouble including incessant arrest of some members of the community which forced them to pass a vote of no confidence on him.

The police spokesperson in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu said he was not aware of the incident.

He, however, promised to call the Ivo police division over the matter.

All efforts to reach the traditional Ruler of the community by our Correspondent, were unsuccessful as their phones were switched off.

This came barely twenty hours after the local government Chairman, Emmanuel Ajah banned all activities across the Council due to insecurity.