…Rep Kama denies involvement, says community rejected mining firm
Survivors of last week’s violent clash between operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and policemen in Amaeze community, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have narrated harrowing experiences, blaming political and community interests for the bloody confrontation that left a police officer dead and several others injured.
The incident, which occurred at a mining pit, has heightened tension in the mineral-rich community as conflicting claims over ownership of the site continue to fuel unrest.
Chukwu Ajah, one of the survivors, alleged that the police acted in a “gestapo style” and without adherence to standard procedure, sparking the violence that led to the fatality.
“We closed work at about 4:30 p.m. and were returning with Civil Defence officers attached to the site when three police vans loaded with over 30 armed men stopped us,” Ajah recounted.
“They insisted our director, Pastor Dr. Nathan Aniokwute, be arrested without invitation or warrant. When the NSCDC officer objected and asked for due process, they seized his weapon, beat him mercilessly and opened fire. In the confusion, a policeman was shot and killed.”
Ajah alleged that the attack was linked to local power struggles and rivalry between licensed miner Hephzibah and Beulah Concepts Ltd, owned by Aniokwute, and another firm, Palladum/Zotmann, allegedly backed by local leaders.
According to him, “the village chairman and the federal lawmaker representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo, Hon. Nkemkanma Kama, are backing Zotmann against the rightful license holder. We heard that Zotmann promised to bankroll Kama’s re-election in 2027. Even when the Mining Cadastral Office in Abuja affirmed Aniokwute’s license, they refused to allow him operate.”
Another victim, Onyekachi Nwaeni, currently receiving treatment for gunshot wounds, corroborated the account, insisting the licensed miner was being unfairly frustrated.
“We heard the police were misinformed. They blocked us and attempted to arrest our director and the NSCDC men. Before we knew it, bullets were flying. I was shot in the leg,” he said.
But Rep. Kama denied involvement in the bloody confrontation, insisting he had no hand in the clash. He maintained that the Amaeze community had unanimously rejected the company’s operations.
“How did I cause the crisis in Amaeze? The community held a meeting and I pleaded with them to allow the company, but not a single person stood behind the owner. I even offered to negotiate compensation for him to avoid trouble, but he refused,” Kama told journalists.
The lawmaker accused the company of “forcing itself” on the community, insisting that the crisis stemmed from local rejection rather than political interference.
Meanwhile, security sources say investigations are ongoing into the clash, which underscores the recurring conflict between local communities, security agencies, and mining companies over control of Ebonyi’s natural resources.
