The killing of two youths allegedly by a soldier attached to Palladium Mining Company in Ihetutu community, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has sparked outrage, with residents demanding justice and an impartial investigation into the incident.
The victims, identified as Chibuike Elema, 18, and Obinna Gideon Akandu, 20, were reportedly shot dead on Sunday at a location said to be some distance from the mining site operated by Palladium Mining Company, also known as Ambertone Logistics Ltd.
According to accounts provided by the victims’ families and community leaders, the youths were allegedly shot after refusing demands by the soldiers for money purportedly for security purposes.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, while the families and residents have called for a thorough probe into the incident and an end to what they described as the intimidation and mistreatment of community members by security operatives.
Narrating the circumstances surrounding his son’s death, Donatus Okoro, father of Chibuike Elema, said the 18-year-old was called from home on Sunday morning to join other workers at the mining site.
He said eyewitnesses reported that the youths were returning from work when soldiers allegedly stopped them and demanded money.
According to him, the soldiers opened fire after the youths explained that they had no money to give them.
“My son was called from the house this morning to come and join them for Sunday work. While coming back along the road, according to people who witnessed what happened, the soldiers attached to a mining company called Palladium asked them to settle them.
“But they told the soldiers that they were not with anything. The soldiers raised their guns and shot them in the head,” Okoro alleged.
The second victim, Obinna Gideon Akandu, was the son of a serving councillor representing Ihetutu community in Ivo Local Government Area and a second-year Economics student at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
His father, Joshua Akandu, described the incident as devastating, insisting that his son had done nothing to warrant such treatment.
He said the deceased returned to the community on Friday afternoon after his examinations were postponed and went to the farm on Sunday before he was allegedly shot while returning.
“My son was innocent. He just went to the farm, and while coming back, they shot him on the road,” Akandu said.
The Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area, Chief Michael Anyim, said the community had maintained a peaceful relationship with soldiers deployed to the area before the incident.
He, however, condemned the killing, describing it as unwarranted and unnecessary.
Anyim appealed to aggrieved youths to refrain from attacking, burning or destroying the mining company’s property, assuring residents that the local government would collaborate with the state government and the Nigerian Army to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
Residents have continued to demand an impartial investigation by the state government and relevant security authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the shootings and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable.
Meanwhile, findings by Daily Times Newspaper indicate that Palladium Mining Company is taking steps to engage the bereaved families and the wider community in a bid to ease tensions and restore peace.
The company is reportedly initiating a humanitarian outreach to the affected families and the community, with the aim of mitigating the impact of the tragedy and preserving its longstanding relationship with residents.
However, the reported initiative comes amid growing demands for accountability and a transparent investigation into the killings.
The Ebonyi State Government has condemned the incident and announced the sealing of the mining company pending the restoration of peace and the pursuit of justice for the deceased.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who condemned the killings during a visit to the community, described the incident as tragic and regrettable and urged residents, particularly youths, to remain calm and law-abiding.
Represented by the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Chief Chinedum Nkah, the governor disclosed that the soldier allegedly involved had been taken into custody, while a full investigation had commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
In a telephone conversation with Daily Times Newspaper, the Commanding Officer of the Nkwagu Military Cantonment, 24 Support Engineer Regiment, Abakaliki, Lieutenant Colonel Ikenna Emmanuel Chielo, confirmed that military personnel had visited the scene and that investigations were ongoing.
“We were at the scene today. Investigation is ongoing. Let’s be patient to get the full details,” he said.
As the bereaved families mourn their losses, residents are urging the authorities to ensure a transparent investigation, hold anyone found responsible accountable and implement measures to prevent a recurrence.
