A High Court sitting in Abakaliki on Friday arraigned 33 suspects over their alleged involvement in the violent communal crisis between Amasiri and Oso Edda, which left four persons dead and properties destroyed.
The suspects, all indigenes of Amasiri community, were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on murder, following the deadly attack that reportedly occurred on January 29, 2026, in Okporojo village, Oso Edda.
Among the accused are traditional rulers, Geoffrey Onya and Idam Bassey, as well as the Coordinator of Amasiri Development Centre, Baron Anya.
Other defendants include Emmanuel Ngwoke, Samuel Eni, Eze Ekeocha, Chukwudi Nwachinemere, Chukwuemeka Ifesinachi, Emmanuel Ogbonnaya, Oko Julius, Eze Uchendu, and Eburu Sunday, among others.
They were alleged to have participated in the killing of Kalu Dick, Ifeoma Oduko Uduma, Anthony Ekumankama, and Eze Orji Ndukwe during the attack, an offence said to be punishable under Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009.
When the charges were read, the 33 defendants pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to the accused persons, Chief Mudi Erhenede, made an oral application for bail on behalf of five of the defendants, including the two traditional rulers, the community development coordinator, and two female suspects.
He urged the court to grant them bail on grounds of their status, citing provisions of the Criminal Justice Rules, 2023, and noting that they had spent about five months in custody.
However, counsel to the state, Chinyere Anoke, who stood in for the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ben Odo, opposed the bail application, arguing that the defendants were facing serious murder charges and should not be released at this stage of trial.
The trial judge, Justice Emmanuel Ogbunnefi of the Ebonyi State High Court, adjourned the matter to June 5 and June 17, 2026, for hearing of written bail applications and ruling.
The communal violence between Amasiri and Oso Edda communities has lingered for decades over land disputes, but escalated sharply on January 29, 2026, when suspected armed men invaded Okporojo village and allegedly beheaded four residents, including an elderly woman.
The attack also led to the burning of several houses and destruction of properties worth millions of naira, deepening tensions between the neighbouring communities in Ebonyi State.
Security presence has remained heightened in the affected areas as authorities continue efforts to restore peace and prevent further breakdown of law and order
